EU Design Patent Search (EUIPO)
In the European Union, product appearances are protected as industrial designs. A Registered Community Design (RCD) is filed at the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) and provides protection across all EU member states in a single registration.
Two types of EU design protection
- Registered Community Design (RCD) — registered at the EUIPO, renewable in 5-year blocks for up to 25 years.
- Unregistered Community Design (UCD) — arises automatically when a design is first made available in the EU, and lasts 3 years without registration.
How to search EU designs
- Identify the Locarno class — EU designs use the Locarno Classification.
- Keyword search — search the EUIPO database by product name, class or holder.
- Image search — upload a product photo to find RCDs with a similar appearance. Because RCDs are not substantively examined, overlapping visual designs are common and image search helps surface them.
Why the EU database matters for sellers
One RCD covers roughly 27 member states, so an EU design search is a very cost-efficient way to clear a large market. At the same time, the breadth of the register means the same look may be protected by several overlapping registrations — worth checking carefully before launching.
Searching for similar looks
The registered appearance is what matters, which is why reverse image search is such a useful addition to a text search. PatPulse searches EU designs together with US and UK registers, so a single product image can be checked across all three markets at once.