Industrial design registration in Nigeria protects the aesthetic or ornamental features of a product, including its shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation, as registered under the Patents and Designs Act Cap P2 LFN 2004.
Design registration is a frequently underused form of IP protection that can be particularly valuable for consumer goods, fashion and apparel, packaging, and technology products where the visual appearance of a product is a key commercial asset. A registered design provides the owner with an exclusive right to use the design commercially and to prevent third parties from making, importing, or selling articles to which the design is applied.
We advise clients on design searches and clearance, the preparation and filing of design applications, prosecution before the Trademarks, Patents and Designs Registry in Abuja, and the enforcement of registered designs. For clients managing multi-market design portfolios, we advise on filing strategies across Nigeria and our associate network across sub-Saharan Africa.
Relevant legislation: Patents and Designs Act Cap P2 LFN 2004. Legal advice is tailored to the specific facts of each matter.