Creative and IP rights · France and Switzerland : separate country-labelled rules
Industrial design: prepare protection before launch
Design protection concerns a product's appearance rather than its brand name or technical invention. France and Switzerland have their own filing and disclosure rules. Prepare consistent views, identify the creator and applicant, and record every earlier disclosure. A disclosure grace period and a foreign priority claim serve different purposes and should not be merged into one assumed deadline.
- Official texts cited
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- Drafted with AI assistance, our method
General legal information with official references and dated checks. It is not personalised advice: for a decision that commits you, have your situation checked by a qualified professional.
Julie by AlphaDeep
Has the product already been disclosed?
Date exhibitions, publications, sales and partner presentations. Do not assume every disclosure falls within a grace exception.
Read the referencesYour question concerns “Industrial design: prepare protection before launch”. I can help organise the facts and records. Which document have you received or prepared, and is this a French or Swiss matter?
3 free questions at signup. Avoid names and sensitive information.
Which appearance needs design protection?
Describe the product's visible features. A design registration does not automatically protect a technical idea or commercial name.
Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6232.12 : Art. 2 Conditions232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesINPI : Conditions de protection
Which official provision helps explain this situation?
Seul peut être protégé le dessin ou modèle qui est nouveau et présente un caractère propre.
In plain English: Novelty and individual character are separate conditions. An unsuccessful search for an identical product is not legal clearance.
Has the product already been disclosed?
Date exhibitions, publications, sales and partner presentations. Do not assume every disclosure falls within a grace exception.
Which records are still missing from your file?
Indicate which records you have. The result identifies gaps and prepares a complete question for Julie, without requiring an account.
Fictional example · Your preparation
Point to complete: Target territories. Separate filing, representations, territories and advice. Trademark and patent protection serve different purposes rather than interchangeable price options.
- Product views
- Record available
- Previous disclosures
- Record available
- Creator and rights holder
- Record available
- Target territories
- Needs checking
- Records indicated
- 3 / 4
- How do design costs compare with other protection?
This worksheet organises records; it does not establish admissibility, entitlement or a procedural outcome.
Who holds the rights to file?
Identify the creator, intended holder and documents connecting their rights. Commissioning the product does not answer every ownership question.
Which representations should be prepared?
Use consistent, readable views of the features concerned. Preserve the exact proposed filing images and their version.
What must be checked in France?
Novelty and individual character are separate conditions. An unsuccessful search for an identical product is not legal clearance.
Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6232.12 : Art. 2 Conditions232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesINPI : Conditions de protection
Which documents answer which questions?
| Record or information | Issue to check |
|---|---|
| Product views | Use consistent, readable views of the features concerned. Preserve the exact proposed filing images and their version. |
| Previous disclosures | Date exhibitions, publications, sales and partner presentations. Do not assume every disclosure falls within a grace exception. |
| Creator and rights holder | Identify the creator, intended holder and documents connecting their rights. Commissioning the product does not answer every ownership question. |
| Target territories | Separate filing, representations, territories and advice. Trademark and patent protection serve different purposes rather than interchangeable price options. |
Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6232.12 : Art. 2 Conditions232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesINPI : Conditions de protection
What must be checked in Switzerland?
Swiss design law has its own protection and disclosure conditions. A French filing or foreign grace-period assumption is not sufficient.
Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6232.12 : Art. 2 Conditions232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesINPI : Conditions de protection
How do design costs compare with other protection?
Separate filing, representations, territories and advice. Trademark and patent protection serve different purposes rather than interchangeable price options.
What does the launch preparation sheet provide?
It connects views, disclosure history, ownership and territories. It does not register the design or guarantee validity.
What other questions arise in this file?
Has the product already been disclosed?
Date exhibitions, publications, sales and partner presentations. Do not assume every disclosure falls within a grace exception.
Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6232.12 : Art. 2 Conditions232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesINPI : Conditions de protection
Which representations should be prepared?
Use consistent, readable views of the features concerned. Preserve the exact proposed filing images and their version.
Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6232.12 : Art. 2 Conditions232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesINPI : Conditions de protection
What must be checked in France?
Novelty and individual character are separate conditions. An unsuccessful search for an identical product is not legal clearance.
Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6232.12 : Art. 2 Conditions232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesINPI : Conditions de protection
How do design costs compare with other protection?
Separate filing, representations, territories and advice. Trademark and patent protection serve different purposes rather than interchangeable price options.
Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6232.12 : Art. 2 Conditions232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesINPI : Conditions de protection
Which official references should you consult?
- Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-2Légifrance
- Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L511-6Légifrance
- 232.12 : Art. 2 ConditionsFedlex
- 232.12 : Art. 3 Divulgations non dommageablesFedlex
- INPI : Conditions de protectionSource officielle
Texts cited last checked: 1 November 2026