Protection of Graphical User Interfaces as Registered Design

The legal landscape for the protection of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) is rapidly evolving, with significant differences in approach and practice across jurisdictions. As more and more companies become technology reliant and with almost every company having at least one app to engage its customers, understanding how to protect your GUI is becoming a key requirement for most inhouse legal teams.

While you may be able to rely on copyright or trade marks to protect aspects of your GUI, the broadest protection is likely to come from a combination of these rights along with design right protection. Since the law around design rights is not harmonised, it can be a challenge to secure a uniform level protection need across the global markets in which you trade.

Working in collaboration with our CMS colleagues globally, we have developed a comprehensive expert guide on GUIs and design rights. This resource distils the collective expertise of leading practitioners in each jurisdiction, providing practical answers to the most pressing questions on the registration, prosecution, and enforcement of design rights for GUIs.

Whether you are seeking to understand the grace periods for self-disclosure, the conventions for representing animated interfaces, or the interplay between design rights and other IP regimes, our expert guide is designed to support informed decision-making and effective IP management.

If you are aware of any significant developments or have questions not yet addressed in our guide, please do not hesitate to contact us.