28 February 2025
With mobile apps playing a crucial role in business and everyday life, protecting their unique look and user experience is essential for developers. While many app creators focus on trade marks and patents, design rights offer another powerful way to stop competitors from copying the visual elements of an app. Understanding how to secure design protection in Australia can help app developers stand out and maintain a competitive edge for up to 10 years.
Why Design Protection Matters for Apps
An app’s design is just as important as its functionality. Users become familiar with specific layouts, icons, and navigation patterns, which makes switching to another app more difficult. Even if a competitor offers similar features, a distinct design can keep users loyal to your platform. Registering a design ensures that your app’s visual identity is legally protected from imitation.
In Australia, registered designs protect the appearance of a product, including elements of an app’s graphical user interface (GUI). This includes the arrangement of icons, buttons, screen layouts, and animations. Unlike patents, which protect how an app works, or trade marks, which protect its name and branding, design rights focus on how the app looks.
Like the EU and the USA, Australia accepts GUI design applications, provided that the GUI is applied to a physical product, such as a computer, smartphone, tablet, or other display device.
What Can Be Protected?
A registered design can cover unique visual elements such as:
- The layout of buttons, menus, and navigation tools
- The shape and appearance of interactive features
- Special visual effects or animations
- Distinctive iconography or colour schemes
However, remember that it is necessary to identify the product to which the GUI is applied (e.g., “display screen of a mobile device”).
Once a design is registered, competitors cannot use a design that gives the same overall impression—even if small changes are made. Developers can also choose to exclude certain features, like colours or screen sizes, to strengthen their protection while keeping the focus on core design elements.
Combining Design Rights with Other Protections
While design rights are valuable, they work best when combined with other forms of IP protection:
- Trade Marks protect the app’s name, logo, and branding, preventing others from using similar names.
- Patents can protect unique technical features, such as new algorithms or innovative data processing methods.
By securing multiple forms of IP protection, app developers can create a strong defence against competitors and build value in their digital products.
Protect Your App with Expert Guidance
If you’re launching an app, securing the right IP protection from the start can help prevent copycats and strengthen your business. IP Solved can guide you through the design registration process, ensuring that your app’s unique look and feel remain exclusively yours. Get in touch with us today to protect your digital assets and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace.
