Original product appearance: register an industrial design in Canada
Separate appearance from function, prepare consistent representations and file before novelty or foreign-market rights are compromised.
Industrial design protects visual appearance, not the general idea, technical operation or automatically the product name.
Choose the right protection
Identify visual features such as shape, configuration, pattern or ornament. Technical operation may call for a patent and a name may call for a trademark.
Check novelty
Search for similar designs and record any earlier disclosure. Canadian and foreign deadlines are not necessarily the same.
Prepare the views
Provide clear, consistent images or drawings showing exactly what is claimed. Inconsistencies between views can delay or weaken the file.
File and monitor
Keep the application number, answer CIPO notices and track renewals. Canadian registration does not automatically create rights in another country.
Industrial design guide — CIPO