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What Our Clients Say ...
I want to personally thank Charlie Heal , Emily Fox, Cara McAtee, and the entire team at Albright IP for their hard work, dedication, and professionalism in helping me submit my first ever patent: the Baffer Ball fire suppression system.
From the very first meeting, Charlie and Emily made everything feel clear, comfortable, and respectful. They listened carefully to my ideas, even though I’m not from a technical or legal background – I’m a painter and decorator by trade. But they believed in my vision and treated it with such care and seriousness that I felt truly supported as an inventor.
Over several months, we worked closely by email and phone. Charlie and the team guided me step by step to build one of the strongest, clearest, and most professional patent drafts I could have hoped for. The claims they wrote are powerful, and the language used shows how deeply they understood my invention. They didn’t just file a document – they helped shape a legacy.
Charlie, even though he is young, is incredibly professional and experienced. I am amazed at how he managed such a complex project with kindness, patience, and precision. Emily and Cara were also fantastic throughout.
This was not just paperwork – this was my dream since childhood. And Albright IP helped me make that dream real.
💬 I look forward to working with them again on future patents. The Baffer Ball is just the beginning – and I am proud that Albright IP was there from Day 1.
Thank you so much again — from the bottom of my heart.
— Morteza
He’s not only incredibly knowledgeable, but also warm and approachable. No question has ever felt too small, and he genuinely cares about the success of my business. I’d highly recommend Marc to anyone looking for a dedicated, trustworthy, and skilled patent attorney.
The patent was filed within weeks and had a depth of technical input from Albright that was excellent. I'm very pleased.
I have filed patents in the past but working with Albright IP was a totally different experience. I recommend them without hesitation.
Their knowledge regarding the patent process is extensive.
They have help me navigate the complex process to gain patent granted on my first design and patent pending on my second design.
I feel reassured and confident to put my designs in their hands knowing they will give the best advice based on the facts and not for their own financial gain.
Brilliant company.
Kathryn Haslam
Comfyi.
They were also very clear regarding fees, and set out a very helpful visual timeline and cost breakdown on the whole patent application process at the pre-sales stage. This emphasis on making sure I understood all aspects of the work, and having documentation to help with that, is something I didn't see with any of the other patent services I was talking to at the time. This clear communication continued throughout our interactions.
Would recommend Albright IP to anyone looking to patent an invention. The patent they filed for me was for a software invention.
No upselling for their fee either, just a fair, professional appraisal...
Thanks to Allbright, I am not spending thousands on a low hope project (when I so easily could have been).
Then end result being that we accomplished everything I wanted to in time and budget.
Highly recommend.
Need a Product Designer?
Helpful Tips
Do I have to identify the designer?
It is possible to waive the name of the designer when filing a European Community Design, but you should be sure that you have the rights to the design
INTERNATIONAL DESIGNS
As well as obtaining British design protection and European Community design protection, it is possible to obtain design protection in many other countries. The qualified British attorneys at Albright IP can provide you with expert international design advice and guidance, and represent you before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Albright IP also have skilled legal associates in nearly all jurisdictions worldwide to assist us in a proactive and cost-effective manner when filing your design application overseas.
INTERNATIONAL DESIGN APPLICATIONS
There are two different ways of getting international design protection. The first is to file national design applications in each individual country of interest, and the second is to file an ‘international’ design application via the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs.
The following sections focus mainly on the Hague System. For more information on national design registration procedures, please contact us by calling +44 (0) 1242 691 801 to speak with one of our qualified attorneys.
What is the difference between design applications filed nationally or via the Hague System?
The main difference is that the Hague System allows you to file a single design application for design protection in any of the territories which are party to the Hague Agreement. Otherwise, separate design applications are needed for each country for which design protection is needed.
In either case, you need to file in all of your countries of interest within 6 months of first filing your design, and this can potentially be done more easily via a single ‘international’ application. That said, not all countries are party to the Hague Agreement, so in some cases you may only be able to obtain design protection via a direct national filing.
What is needed to proceed with an international or overseas design application?
Before filing an application for an international registered design, we need the following information:
- Full applicant details – e.g. your full name or company name (plus state or incorporation) and address;
- Representations – drawings or photographs of the design, suitable for quality reproduction by a photocopier, e.g. line drawings are most easily reproduced;
- Details of any earlier “priority” applications;
- The title or classification of the design.
For the representations, you should generally show the six views of a cube and a perspective view, but we can advise on this as necessary.
What happens when I’m ready to file an application?
Please explore the following sections for further details about international registered design applications.
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Filing your application
You can file an international or overseas design application as a first application, or as a follow-up application which ‘claims priority’ from an earlier (priority) application. Most industrialised nations are party to the Paris Convention, which is an international treaty allowing the filing date of an earlier application in another country to be claimed.
We often file a design application in the UK or Europe initially, and then file one or more foreign design applications in the following 6 months, such as in the US and China, for example.
For more information, please contact us by calling +44 (0) 1242 691 801 to speak with one of our qualified British attorneys.
Countries available via the Hague System
There are currently 94 countries available via the Hague System of international design registration. Countries which are available via this route include the USA, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, as well as many individual European countries (if Europe-wide protection via the European Union is not desired), and selected African, Asian and South American countries.
For a full list of countries available via the Hague System, please visit this page and see the PDF of Contracting Parties to the Hague Agreement.
For more information, please contact us by calling +44 (0) 1242 691 801 to speak with one of our qualified British attorneys.
Registration
The time taken for a national design application to proceed to registration can vary, but normally occurs slower than UK or European design registration. For example, for a US or Chinese design application, it typically takes around a year or so to register. As with UK and European designs, renewal fees are normally then due to keep the registration in force.
For international design applications filed via the Hague System, the international part of registration occurs when the application complies with certain formal requirements, and the design then publishes. The design is then considered by the various national Offices of the countries chosen for design protection.
These Offices then examine the design application according to their national design law. Objections can be raised up to 12 months after international registration, and must be overcome to avoid the design being invalidated in those countries where objections have arisen.
For more information, please contact us by calling +44 (0) 1242 691 801 to speak with one of our qualified British attorneys.
Term of protection and Renewal
Renewals fees are often due on registered designs in order to extend the term of protection afforded to a design, beyond the initial period. This is the case for both national design registrations and an international design registration. The term of protection varies between different countries where national design registrations are concerned. For an international (Hague System) design, the initial term of protection for is 5 years.
In general, most countries offer a maximum term of registered design protection between 10 years and 25 years in length. In the US, for example, design protection lasts for 14 years from registration and no renewal fees are required. In China, design protection lasts up to 10 years, and renewal fees are due annually.
For more information, please contact us by calling +44 (0) 1242 691 801 to speak with one of our qualified British attorneys.
Through our qualified and experienced attorneys, and our highly capable network of foreign attorneys, Albright IP can fully and proactively protect your product, giving you the design rights to then secure your market or to obtain lucrative licence and assignment deals.
What if I have a lot of design variations to protect?
It is possible to file a series of designs in the UK, which can significantly lower the cost of protecting multiple designs. However, the designs in the series must be classified as the same ‘type’ of product. Separate applications would be needed for different products.
In any case, the cost of filing in foreign countries varies significantly due to differing official fees, foreign attorney costs, and design image requirements, so please contact us if you would like estimates for certain countries.
For further advice on the above, please contact us by calling +44 (0) 1242 691 801 to speak with one of our qualified British attorneys.