UK design overhaul puts protection ahead of simplification

By Melissa Ritti ( November 4, 2026, 11:00 GMT | Comment) -- The UK government will not abolish its unregistered design right, it said Wednesday, opting instead to preserve existing protections while pursuing targeted registration checks and cheaper civil enforcement. The next phase will require officials to reconcile different eligibility rules and protection periods without stripping away the legal options UK businesses say they have come to rely on.Overlapping legal protections for UK designs will remain in place under major reforms announced Wednesday....

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