Glossary
A list of words or terms used on this website that have specific meanings in the area of intellectual property.
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Designs
Practice guidelines
Changes to assignment of designs
From 13 February 2012 there will be a change in practice relating to the assignment of designs: the filing of a request to record an assignment of a design will only be possible after the design has been registered. Any request to…
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Designs
Practice guidelines
Representations for designs
Introduction This note reiterates and clarifies practices regarding the filing of representations for designs to be registered by IPONZ under the Designs Act 1953. The representations of a design serve to identify the design, so that a design applied to an article can be…
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Designs
Practice guidelines
Filing design convention documents
The Design Regulations 34(2) and 34(3) require an applicant to lodge certified convention documents and verified translations of the foreign language parts of convention documents at IPONZ at the time an application is made or within three months of the application date. IPONZ is not in…
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Designs
Practice guidelines
Representations for designs - guidelines superseded 19 March 2012
Introduction This note reiterates and clarifies practices regarding the filing of representations for designs to be registered by IPONZ under the Designs Act 1953. The representations of a design serve to identify the design, so that a design applied to an article can be…
Facts and figures
We collect data about patent, trade mark, design, and plant variety rights application volumes. This information is represented in Shockwave Flash format and the raw data is also available as a spreadsheet.
Refund policy
This page outlines IPONZ’s refund policy. IPONZ will only refund relevant fees under specific circumstances.
News and updates
Warning: Unsolicited emails on IP rights
Some businesses are receiving unsolicited emails that may be scams. The emails call for immediate action on IP rights.
News and updates
Decisions of the Commissioner – October 2025
Decisions of the Commissioner issued in October 2025 are now available online.
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Trade marks
Apply
Registering a trade mark is a good way to protect your brand and reputation. There are some things you need to consider before submitting a trade mark application.
