Elements and Performance Criteria
- Identify the need for protection of innovative designs
- Research what constitutes a registrable design and what exclusive rights are obtained through registration
- Identify legislative requirements governing design registration
- Research prior art to determine what has already been published or registered in the area of design
- Assess whether copyright provides protection and determine adequacy of non-registrable protection
- Identify innovative designs within own organisation with commercial potential
- Evaluate and make recommendations for commercialisation potential of innovative designs
- Identify and initiate application for protection of innovative designs
- Identify sources of information and advice regarding protection of innovative designs
- Evaluate the role of intellectual property professionals in the registration process
- Identify processes required for the application for registration of a design
- Identify process for international design registration
- Participate in a design registration process and, if applicable, provide relevant information to an intellectual property professional
- Monitor the market and protect and use registered design
- Identify and review organisation policies and procedures to protect and use the organisation's designs correctly
- Identify and establish processes to use own and others' registered designs for business growth
- Ensure that procedures are followed for the organisation to maintain innovative design protection
- Ensure all employees are aware of the importance to the organisation of the protection of designs, and implement training, if required
- Monitor the market for possible infringements of registered designs
- Pursue appropriate legal measures to protect designs against infringements, if required, using appropriate professional advice
- Identify and review organisation policies and procedures to ensure all employees respect the work of other designers in fair and open competition