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 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.
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.
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.
Design registration offers key benefits to help safeguard and strengthen your brand:
Following steps are mentioned below which need to be undergo while obtaining Trademark Registration:
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.
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
Here’s a list of documents required for a design application:
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 |
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.
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.
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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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).
Design registration offers several important benefits for businesses and creators:
It helps protect your design, grow your brand, and add business value.
Once granted, design registration offers exclusive rights for 10 years, with the option to extend protection for an additional 5 years.
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.
Disclaimer: The content provided on this site is intended for informational purposes only. Accessing or utilizing this site and its materials does not establish an attorney-client relationship. The information contained herein does not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. It is not a substitute for obtaining legal counsel from a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.