Where to Search Designs: DesignView, WIPO GDD & Offices
The three layers of official searching
1. National and regional registers (authoritative)
These are the records that actually determine whether a right exists in a given market. In the US, design patents are searched through the USPTO's Patent Public Search with design classification codes. In the EU, EUIPO's eSearch plus covers registered Community designs — now renamed EU designs — and its register shows status, owner and renewals. In the UK, the UKIPO register covers registered designs. When a record matters, verify it here rather than in an aggregator.
2. DesignView (broadest free coverage, and image search)
EUIPO's DesignView is a free, multilingual search tool that aggregates design data from participating IP offices. As of February 2026 EUIPO reported that DesignView covers images from 76 IP offices and more than 111 million searchable design images, which makes it the broadest free design image search available. It is the natural first stop when you want to know whether a look exists anywhere in the participating offices, and its image search handles the case where you only have a photograph or a render.
3. WIPO's Global Design Database (the Hague angle)
The Global Design Database covers international registrations filed under the Hague System plus designs from participating national and regional offices, searchable by keyword, names, classification, dates and priority. WIPO reports coverage of around 40 national and regional offices with roughly 16.3 million records, with the Hague international collection updated weekly. If a brand protects the same product across many countries, the Hague registration behind it is usually easier to find here than by visiting each office separately.
What each tool is good for
| Tool | Coverage | Image search | Best used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPTO Patent Public Search | US design patents | No | Confirming a US design patent, status and figures |
| EUIPO eSearch plus | EU registered designs | No | Confirming an EU design, owner, status and renewals |
| UKIPO register | UK registered designs | No | Confirming a UK registered design |
| EUIPO DesignView | Participating offices worldwide | Yes | Broad visual sweep, including by product photo |
| WIPO Global Design Database | Hague registrations plus participating offices | Limited | Tracing multi-country Hague registrations |
Four gaps that official registers do not close
- Unregistered rights. EU and UK unregistered design rights never appear in a register. See unregistered design rights.
- Publication lag. Applications are published only after a delay, so a very recent filing may not yet be visible anywhere.
- Class traps. A design can be filed under a class you would not expect, which is why Locarno classification knowledge matters.
- Appearance versus words. Two similar products can be described in completely different language. This is the gap image search closes.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one database that covers all design registrations worldwide?
No. DesignView has the broadest free multi-office coverage and the Global Design Database aggregates Hague registrations and several national collections, but no tool contains every register, and national registers remain authoritative.
Can I search these databases by uploading an image?
DesignView supports image search. Most national registers are designed for classification and keyword searching rather than visual similarity.
Which database should I start with?
Start where your market and your evidence are: national registers if you have a specific product, a patent number or an owner. Start broad — DesignView, or a tool that searches US, EU and UK records together — when you only have a photo or a rough idea of the look.
Sources
- EUIPO — DesignView becomes the world's largest design image search engine (February 2026)
- WIPO — Global Design Database FAQ
- WIPO — Global Design Database