Conflicts over the ownership, application, or legality of a registered design give rise to design disputes. In these conflicts, one party may allege that another’s product illegally copies or imitates their registered design, creating confusion in the market and possibly costing them money. Additional disagreements could center on who actually owns a design, whether a registered design is unique or novel, or whether license agreements for designs have been broken. In order to settle design disputes, both parties usually have to appear in court or before an intellectual property tribunal, or other appropriate authority, and present their case and supporting documentation. To get to a settlement, other conflict resolution techniques like arbitration or mediation may also be used.

By offering precise and enforceable safeguards for innovative ideas, effective design dispute resolution promotes innovation, protects the rights of design owners, and ensures fair competition.