MAJOR DESIGN IP REFORMS ANNOUNCED TO TACKLE COPYCATS, COURTROOM COSTS, AND SUD PROTECTION

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

The UK government has announced major reforms to design intellectual property protections aimed at making registration and enforcement fairer and more affordable for independent designers and small studios. Proposed changes would give the Intellectual Property Office stronger powers to reject copied or bad-faith registrations, addressing practices in which competitors register someone else's designs and use them to force legitimate products off online marketplaces. Registered design disputes would also become eligible for the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court's Small Claims Track, allowing creators to pursue claims of up to £10,000 without facing the substantial legal costs of conventional litigation.