How do I protect a product design in the UAE?

The visual appearance of a product — its shape, pattern, lines or ornamentation — can be protected in the UAE as an industrial design under the federal industrial property law (Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2021), administered by the Ministry of Economy. An industrial design protects how a product looks rather than how it works (which is the domain of patents) or what brand it carries (which is the domain of trademarks). To qualify, a design generally needs to be new and not previously disclosed to the public, so as with patents you should avoid showing it publicly before filing. Registration involves submitting representations of the design and details of the product it applies to for examination. A registered design gives time-limited exclusive rights to stop others from making or selling products with the same or a substantially similar appearance. This protection is valuable for consumer products, furniture, fashion, packaging and similar goods where look drives sales. Confirm the current filing requirements and protection term with the Ministry of Economy, and a UAE IP lawyer on LEXAI can help you file and enforce a design registration.