Design Search and Novelty Assessment
A design has to be new and original on the day you file. The register is searchable, prior art is public, and the government fee is not refundable — which makes searching first the cheapest step in the whole process.
- Designs Register and prior art searched
- Written novelty opinion, not a raw list
- Class and sub-class identified under Locarno
- Self-disclosure risk assessed honestly
- Government fee from
- Nil
- Our fee from
- ₹4,999
- Typical timeline
- 1–2 days
What a design search can and cannot tell you
Registration under the Designs Act is available only for a design that is new or original, has not been disclosed to the public anywhere in India or abroad before the filing date, and is significantly distinguishable from known designs or combinations of them. A search tests the first three of those against what is findable.
The search covers the Indian Designs Register, including registered and published designs in the relevant Locarno class, and extends to publicly available prior art — catalogues, marketplace listings, published applications in other jurisdictions and, increasingly, product imagery online. The output that matters is not a list of hits but a view on whether what you intend to file is significantly distinguishable from them.
The most common novelty problem is not somebody else's design. It is your own prior disclosure. Showing the product at an exhibition, listing it for sale, posting it on social media or publishing a catalogue before filing destroys novelty. India provides only a narrow exemption for disclosure at an officially notified exhibition, and only where the application is filed within six months. There is no general grace period.
A search cannot be exhaustive. Unpublished pending applications are not visible, and prior art in obscure sources may not surface. What it does is convert an unquantified risk into a considered one, before the government fee and the drawings are paid for.
What design search gives you
The practical advantages, not the marketing version.
Avoid a non-refundable filing
Design application fees are not returned when the application fails. Searching first is far cheaper than filing blind.
Know your prior-disclosure position
We ask what you have already shown publicly, because that is usually the fatal issue rather than a third-party design.
Correct class from the start
The Locarno class and sub-class are identified, which determines the scope of the search and the filing.
Design-around guidance
Where a close prior design exists, we identify what would need to change to be significantly distinguishable.
Evidence for later disputes
A documented pre-filing search supports your position if the registration is challenged for want of novelty.
Honest go / no-go
Where the design is not registrable, you are told before you spend, including when the honest answer is copyright or trademark instead.
The process, step by step
Every stage, with realistic timelines — including the ones that depend on the registry rather than on us.
- 11–2 days
Understand the article
We look at the product, the features you consider distinctive, and whether those features are visual or functional — since function is not protectable as a design.
- 21 day
Classify under Locarno
The correct class and sub-class are identified, which frames the search and the eventual application.
- 32–4 days
Search the register
Registered and published Indian designs in the class are examined, along with the relevant sub-classes.
- 42–4 days
Search wider prior art
Catalogues, marketplace listings, foreign published designs and product imagery are reviewed for anticipating disclosures.
- 51 day
Assess your own disclosures
Your launch, exhibition, listing and social media history is checked against the filing date you are contemplating.
- 61–2 days
Written opinion
You receive a report setting out the closest prior designs, the novelty position, and a clear recommendation.
What you need to provide
Have these ready and the filing moves quickly. We tell you if anything is missing before we start.
About the design
- Photographs or drawings from multiple views
- CAD files or renders where available
- Description of the features you consider new
- The article to which the design is applied
- Any variants you also intend to protect
Disclosure history
- Dates of any exhibition, trade fair or public showing
- First listing or sale date, online or offline
- Social media posts showing the product
- Catalogue or brochure publication dates
- Any foreign application already filed and its date
Commercial context
- Competitor products you are aware of
- Markets where you intend to sell
- Whether the design has functional constraints
Official fees
These are statutory fees payable to the government, separate from our professional fee. We never mark them up.
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Design search | Nil | Searching the published register carries no statutory fee. |
| Certificate of search under Section 45(2) | ₹500 / ₹2,000 | Small entity / others, where a formal certificate is required. |
| Inspection of a registered design | ₹500 / ₹2,000 | Small entity / others. |
| Application (Form 1) — natural person, startup or small entity | ₹1,000 | Per design, if you proceed to file. Form 24 required. |
| Application (Form 1) — company or other applicants | ₹4,000 | Per design, if you proceed to file. |
The search itself costs nothing in government fees — the cost is the professional work of running it and forming a view. The application fees shown are what you would pay if the search supports filing, and are not refundable once paid.
Transparent professional fees
Fixed fees, quoted upfront. Government fees are charged at cost and shown separately on every invoice.
Register Search
Indian Designs Register, one class.
- Locarno classification
- Registered and published designs reviewed
- Closest prior designs identified
- Written novelty view
Full Novelty Search
Register plus wider prior art and disclosure review.
- Everything in Register Search
- Marketplace and catalogue prior art
- Foreign published designs reviewed
- Your own disclosure history assessed
- Design-around suggestions where needed
- Go / no-go recommendation
Search + Filing
Search, then file if it clears.
- Full Novelty Search
- Drawings prepared to Rule requirements
- Statement of novelty drafted
- Form 1 filed with the Design Office
Questions we get asked
If your question is not here, send it over — we answer directly rather than routing you to a form.
I already launched the product. Can I still register the design?
How thorough can a design search be?
What does 'significantly distinguishable' mean in practice?
Should I search before or after filing abroad?
My design is mostly functional. Is it registrable?
Still unsure? Book a free consultation and we will tell you honestly whether this is the right service for you.
Ready to start your design search?
Talk to an IP professional first. No obligation, no sales script — just a clear view of where you stand and what it will cost.