According to the UK ntellectual Property Office (IPO) IP Connect publication, there's yet another consultation exercise for design folk to participate in. Says the IPO:

Cutting-edge designs and designs that have stood the test of time continue to be in high demand. The Government is aware of the need to have an appropriate intellectual property framework to incentivise the creation of artistic works. Currently, some artistic designs are protected by copyright but, if mass produced, these artistic designs lose their copyright protection after 25 years.

The Government has passed a law in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 that removes this unequal treatment, but now has to choose when the change should be made. When the change does come into force, some older works will come back into copyright. This will mainly affect artistic works over 25 years old that were industrially manufactured. For example, some furniture could qualify for copyright protection, or a work of visual art that was made into wallpaper might be affected. Anyone who is not the copyright holder or the licensee will need permission or a licence to make lawful copies.

As a result of the change to the law, firms will need to adjust their business models and product lines. The Government is now consulting on when this change should happen with a proposed date of 6 April 2018. The Government believes this transition period strikes a balance between designers and creators who should have their creative works protected for the full term of copyright protection and those businesses that will need time to adjust to the legislative changes.

But it also wants to know if the transition period will be fair and proportionate for all affected parties and what items may be affected in practice. The consultation closes on Monday 27 October. To find out further information click here.