How to Register a Design in Manipur : Process, Fees, and Benefits

Updated on September 19, 2025 12:03:39 PM

If your product happens to have a distinctive appearance, design registration in Manipur would be the ideal way to protect it. Full legal rights over the appearance of your product are granted through design registration, ensuring no other individual can use or replicate it with your consent. A design encompasses the appearance in the form of visual features such as the shape, pattern, structure, or color but not the way it operates. Registration of the design secures the visual features and makes your product distinguishable in the marketplace.

Design registration in Manipur comes under the Design Act, 2000, which falls under Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Whether your design is 2D, 3D, or a composite of the two, registration saves it from being imitated. With your design being registered, you become the lawful owner and can even make a living by licensing your design.

We, at Litem Legalis assist you in the whole design registration procedure in Manipur. Our professionals ensure your design gets legally protected so that nobody will misuse it. Contact us today and get your product's exclusive design protected.

Design Registration

What is Design Registration?

Design registration in Manipur is a legal process that protects the unique visual appearance of your product. It gives the designer the sole rights over the use of the design so that no one can use the design or replicate it. If your product contains a special shape, pattern, or appearance that makes it unlike other products, the design registration ensures that they will not be duplicated.

Under the Design Act of 2000, if your design gets registered, you get full ownership for 10 years, and then it can be extended another 5 more. It safeguards businesses, start-ups, as well as designers in Manipur, by holding on to their original work, preventing it from being copied, and enhancing their business reputation in the marketplace.

  • Form – The overall shape of the product
  • Configuration– The arrangement of different elements
  • Pattern– Repeated patterns on the surface
  • Ornamentation – Decorative elements that make the design unique
  • Color & Line Combinations – Artistic features that define the product’s visual appeal

What Exactly is a "Design"?

A design under IPR regulations refers to the visual elements of a product including its shape configuration pattern and colors. The design can exist as either a two-dimensional drawing or a three-dimensional model as long as it presents an visual aspect.

For Example :  A unique torchlight shape can become eligible for registration. You can only protect design through appearance because functionality remains outside the scope of protection. A physical object called an article requires the design to be transformed through industrial or manual processes.

The following elements do not qualify as design elements: The product's operational mechanics together with trademarks and artistic works protected by copyright law are excluded from design protection.

Eligibility Criteria for Design Registration in Manipur

To qualify for Industrial design registration eligibility(also know as a design patent) demands that your design satisfies these requirements to receive legal protection which grants you exclusive rights for its use and sale or licensing. An industrial design requires three essential requirements to qualify for registration.

  • New & Original -  An industrial design must present an entirely novel original concept. The design cannot duplicate or show minor modifications to any previously existing design.
  • Distinct & Unique -  The design needs to present distinct characteristics which allow it to differ from all other designs available worldwide. A design qualifies for protection only if it appears nowhere in public records or internet databases or other accessible sources. The design needs to distinguish itself from all other designs currently available.
  • Not Previously Published or Used -  The design must remain unpublished and unused both in India and other countries until the filing date emerges. A design becomes ineligible for registration when it appears in public disclosure before the application date.

Benefits of Design Registration

Design registration offers key benefits to help safeguard and strengthen your brand:

Design Registration Process in Manipur

Following steps are mentioned below which need to be undergo while obtaining Trademark Registration:

Step 1: Confidentiality Agreement (NDA)

Before sharing your design with manufacturers, investors, or designers, ask them to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). This prevents them from using or copying your design without permission.

Step 2: Conduct a Design Search

Before applying for design registration, it is essential to verify that your design is unique and not already registered. This helps avoid legal issues and ensures that your design isn’t already registered.

How to Check for Similar Designs:

  1. IP Manipur’s Online Public Design Search Platform – Visit search.ipManipur.gov.in and search for your product name (e.g., "Regenerative Suspension-Based Energy Harvester"). Use the "Containing" option to find similar designs.

If you cannot find a similar registered design, you may proceed with filing a request for a Prior Art Search (Form-7) along with a fee of ₹1,000.

Step 3: Prepare the Design Application

Once you confirm that your design is new, You’ll prepare your design application in which you need to show your design in 7 views: perspective (overall), top, bottom, front, rear, left side, and right side. Use software like SolidWorks if you want a 3D model, or draw it by hand. Put each view on an A4 sheet (up to 7 sheets total) and include:

  • Left Corner:  Your name (or team/college names).
  • Right Corner: Sheet number (e.g., “1 of 7”).
  • Title: Your product name (e.g., “Energy Harvester”).
  • Three Statements:
    • “The novelty resides in the shape/configuration of [product name].”
    • “No claim is made under this registration in respect of any mechanical or other action.”
    • “No claim is made with respect to trademarks.”
  • Signature:  Sign and date each sheet.
Step 4: File the Design Application

Once you have confirmed the uniqueness of your design and peapre the design applciation, the next step is to file the design application with the Manipurn Patent Office through the IP Manipur e-filing system.

Head to ipManipur.gov.in, find the e-filing design section, and click “New User Sign Up.” Choose your applicant type:

  • Natural Person (e.g., a student or individual) – Fee: ₹1,000.
  • Organization (e.g., a college or company) – Fee: ₹4,000.
  • Startup/Small Entity – Fee varies.

Fill in Details – Enter your name, address, and other required information.

Upload E-Signature – Authenticate your application with an e-signature.

Submit & Confirm – Complete the process and receive a confirmation email.

Step 5: First Examination Report (FER)

After filing, the Design Office will examine your application. If they find any issues, they will send a First Examination Report (FER). You need to respond within 3 months to clarify or correct any objections.If the examiner has further doubts, they may schedule a hearing where you (or your lawyer) can explain your case.After filing, the Design Office will examine your application. If they find any issues, they will send a First Examination Report (FER). You need to respond within 3 months to clarify or correct any objections.If the examiner has further doubts, they may schedule a hearing where you (or your lawyer) can explain your case.

Step 6: Grant of Design Registration

Once all objections are resolved, the Design Office will approve your application and issue a Design Registration Certificate. This certificate proves your legal ownership of the design.

Documents Required for a Design Registration in Manipur

Here’s a list of documents required for a design application:

  1. Basic Application Forms & Documents Form-1 — (Application for Registration of Design)
    • The application form must follow the specifications outlined in Schedule-II of the Designs Rules
    • Should include:
      • The document requires the applicant to provide their name together with their address and their nationality.
      • Name of the article
      • The application requires the Locarno Classification-based class number.
      • Address for service in Manipur
    • The document requires a signature from either the applicant or their authorized representative.
    • Representations of the Design (as per Rules 12, 13 & 14)
      • Submitted in duplicate (2 copies)
      • The design presentation needs to display multiple angles, including top view and front view and side view, and more.
      • Format:
        • On durable A4 size paper (210mm x 296.9mm)
        • No descriptive text, sectional views, dimensions, or technical details
        • Should clearly highlight the novelty of the design
      • Digital representations (computer graphics, photographs, tracings) are allowed
      • The representation must show how the design affects every part of the article set when it applies to multiple articles.
  2. Power of Attorney (If Required) Form-21 (Power of Authority)
    • Required if the application is filed through a Patent Agent or Advocate
    • If submitting a copy of a General Power of Attorney (GPA), it must be endorsed with the design application number linked to the original GPA
  3. Small Entity Status (If Applicable) Form-24 (Declaration for Small Entity)
    • If the applicant is claiming "small entity" status, submit:
      • MSME Certificate (for Manipurn applicants, proving registration under the MSME Act, 2006)
      • Affidavit (for foreign applicants, as per Rule 42 of the Designs Rules)
  4. Priority Claim (If the Design Was First Filed in Another Country) Original Priority Document (under Rule 15 of the Designs Rules)
    • Required only for Convention Applications (where the same design was first filed in a foreign country)
  5. Assignment Documents (If Applicable) Assignment in Original
    • If the Manipurn applicant is different from the foreign applicant who first filed the design, a legal assignment document is required
  6. Physical Submission of Documents (For E-filing Applicants)
    • If the application is filed electronically, the original paper copies must be submitted within 15 days as per Rule 3 of the Designs Rules

Government Fees for Design Registration

Registering a design in Manipur involves specific government fees, which vary based on the applicant type—individuals, small entities, and others (companies, firms, etc.). The fee structure is outlined under the Designs Act, 2000 and its related rules

S.No. Purpose Form No. Fees (INR)
1 Application for design registration (Sections 5 & 44) Form-1 1,000
2 Claim to proceed as an applicant or joint applicant (Section 8) Form-2 500
3 Application for extension of copyright (Section 11) Form-3 2,000
4 Application for restoration of lapsed design (Section 12) Form-4 1,000
5 Additional fee for restoration - 1,000
6 Inspection of a registered design (Section 17) Form-5 500
7 Request for information on a design (when registration number is given) (Section 18) Form-6 500
8 Request for information on a design (when registration number is not given) Form-7 1,000
9 Petition for cancellation of a registered design (Section 19) Form-8 1,500
10 Notice of intended exhibition/publication of an unregistered design (Section 21) Form-9 500
11 Application for document registration in the Design Register (Section 30) Form-10 500
12 Additional fee for each extra design in the same application - 200
13 Application for entry of name of proprietor or part proprietor in the Register of Design (Section 30) Form-11 500
14 Application for mortgage or license entry Form-12 500
15 Entry of notification of a document in the Design Register (Section 30 & Rule 37) Form-13 500
16 Request for correction of clerical errors (Section 29) Form-14 500
17 Request for certification (Section 26 & Rule 41) Form-15 500
18 Application for certified copy of a registered design (Section 17) Form-16 500
19 Application for rectification of the Register of Design (Section 31) Form-17 500
20 Application for an extension of time to submit priority documents (Rule 15 & Rule 18) Form-18 200 per month
21 Notice of opposition (Rule 40) Form-19 100
22 Notice of intention to attend a hearing (Rule 29 & 40) Form-20 500
23 Authorization of an agent or other person Form-21 No fee
24 Request for altering name/address in the Register of Design Form-22 200
25 Request for entering two addresses in the Register of Design Form-23 200
26 Petition for amendment of any document (Rule 46) - 500
27 Petition for enlargement of time (Rules 29, 40, 47) - 500
28 Inspection of the Register of Design (Rule 38) - 250
29 Petition not otherwise provided for - 1,000
30 Claiming small entity status Form-24 No fee

Design Patent vs. Utility Patent

When it come to patent protection, people tend to mix up design patents with utility patents although these patents protect distinct aspects of inventions. The legal protection offered by both patents exists but applies to different elements of an invention.

Choosing Between a Design and Utility Patent

In some cases, a product may qualify for both patents. For example, an innovative smartwatch might have a distinctive outer design (covered by a design patent) and a groundbreaking health-monitoring algorithm (protected by a utility patent).

Understanding these differences helps businesses and inventors make the right choice when seeking patent protection.

Conclusion

In the end,to guard your product's distinctive appearance, design registration in Manipur is a mandatory procedure. Care must be taken in the procedure since rules are strict when it comes to originality, correct presentation of the design, and proper filing. A minor error can result in delay or refusal, so it pays to have things correct from the beginning.

We make the whole process hassle - free at Litem Legalis. Our professionals have extensive experience with the design registration procedure in Manipur and are happy to support you with each legal requirement. We have individual designer, startup, and business solutions for each, no matter if you are an individual designer, a start-up, or already a well-established business.

Don’t let legal procedures hold you back—call today and protect your design with proper legal coverage in an effort to build your brand's identity.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is design registration?

Design registration is a legal process that protects the visual appearance of a product—including its shape, configuration, pattern, and ornamentation—granting the owner exclusive rights for up to 10 years (extendable to 15 years).

What Are the Benefits of Design Registration?

Design registration offers several important benefits for businesses and creators:

  • Exclusive Rights & Legal Protection
  • Prevention of Design Theft
  • Financial Benefits
  • Stronger Brand Identity
  • Global Protection

It helps protect your design, grow your brand, and add business value.

How long does the protection last after registration?

Once granted, design registration offers exclusive rights for 10 years, with the option to extend protection for an additional 5 years.

What documents are necessary for a design application?

Essential documents include the application form (Form-1), multiple views of the design (as per the guidelines), a power of attorney if applicable, and additional forms such as Form-24 for small entity status, along with any priority or assignment documents if required.

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