In plain terms
Think of an industrial design as the unique visual look of a product—like the distinct shape of a chair, a bottle, or a printed fabric pattern. If someone copies your original design for business without your permission, this law gives you the legal power to stop them and claim damages. It works like putting an official lock on your visual product ideas so competitors cannot steal your creative work.
What This Law Does
This Act sets up a complete legal framework for protecting and registering industrial designs in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Key provisions include:
- Protecting unregistered designs for 3 years from when they are first made public in the country.
- Protecting registered designs for 5 years, which can be renewed for 5-year periods up to 25 years total.
- Granting a 12-month grace period so that showing your design publicly before filing does not destroy your ability to register it.
- Linking Saint Kitts and Nevis to international intellectual property rules like the Hague Agreement and Paris Convention.
Who It Affects
This law applies to:
- Local artists, craftspeople, and industrial designers who create product appearances.
- Businesses, manufacturers, and importers selling physical products in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
- Foreign design owners who want legal protection for their products locally.
What Changes For You
- You can file an application with the Intellectual Property Office to register your original product design.
- You can ask to keep your application secret for up to 30 months before it is published.
- If someone infringes your design, you can take them to court to get injunctions, seize or destroy illegal copies, and collect lost profits or damages.
Exceptions
Protection is not granted for:
- Features dictated purely by technical function or mechanics.
- Exact shapes required only to connect one product mechanically to another (unless part of a modular system).
- Designs that go against public order or morality.
Ask about Industrial Designs Bill, 2025
Ask a question below, or try one of the suggestions.
What counts as an industrial design under this law?How long does design protection last?What happens if someone copies my registered design without permission?Can I keep my design registration secret for a while before it becomes public?Can I still register my design if I already showed it to the public?
Answers are drawn strictly from this bill's own text — nothing else.