Industrial designs help drive the Future of Transportation

The recently-published WIPO Technology Trends: Future of Transportation report takes a look at the IP and technology trends shaping the future of this broad and exciting technological field, which includes automotive, marine, aviation and space.

Looking beyond patents to industrial designs, the report notes the importance of designs within the transportation sector, largely due to their ability to enhance functionality and customer appeal.

An industrial design covers the visual aspects of a product – its shape, lines, patterns and overall look – elements which are key in a competitive landscape where aesthetics can matter as much as technical function. 

The WIPO report uses data relating to industrial designs filed under Locarno Class 12 (transportation). This data shows the changes in design registrations over the past decade. Since 2014, there has been a steady increase in registered design filings, with a noticeable dip around the pandemic period.

Image source: WIPO

The report also provides data on the origin of these design filings. As you might expect, China, the United States, the European Union, the Republic of Korea and Japan lead the way, all countries or regions with large automotive industries. Arguably, the UK and Singapore are punching above their weight, given their comparatively small size. And in Europe, Germany is the run-away leader in transportation design filings.

Image source: WIPO

These statistics on registered designs are interesting, particularly as closely-related Locarno classes, such as Class 21 (furniture and articles not classified elsewhere) and Class 8 (hand tools and implements) have shown similar growth trends, perhaps indicating the way in which design fields can influence one another.

The steady increase in filings may also indicate that more innovators in the transportation sector are beginning to catch on to the value of registered designs, which - compared to patents - can in certain jurisdictions, such as the UK and the EU, be relatively quick and inexpensive to file, last for up to 25 years and require renewing only once every 5 years.

Of course, patents and registered designs protect different aspects of intellectual property. However, with careful planning, both can be used together, in combination with trade marks, to provide broad and robust protection for innovation in this sector. 

And with the recent changes to design rules in the EU, which broaden the definition of “design” to include digital and virtual designs, graphical user interfaces, and so on, and extend the scope of protection to cover the creation and sharing of 3D print files, we can expect the filings of registered designs to continue to grow in the transportation sector.

Are you missing out on registered design protection? We have just what you need - a dedicated team of design specialists, who can also advise you on patents and trade marks. Get in touch with us today for a free, no-obligation discussion.

In the automotive industry, for example, a well-designed car is not just visually appealing; it often reflects brand identity, safety and innovation.

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