The subject of the design protection is the outwardly visible appearance of the product or its part, packaging or the ornamentation itself.

A design is protected by an exclusive right if it is new and has individual character. A design is regarded as new if, on the date on which the application for registration has been filed, no identical design has been made available to the public.

A design is considered to have an individual character if the overall impression it produces on an informed user differs from the overall impression made by any design available to the public before the date of filing of the application for registration.

Further requirements for design protection may vary in different countries.