What evidence supports UK unregistered design right?
Preserve dated sketches, original design files, revision histories and photographs showing how each sample developed. Link each record to its creator, date and sample version. Ask a solicitor or intellectual property attorney about certifying and keeping signed, dated copies. Coordinate factory records with Cambridge China Bridge.
Build a creation record from the start
IPO guidance says you need proof of when you created a design to prove your right. It identifies signed and dated copies of drawings or photographs, certified and kept by a solicitor or intellectual property attorney, as a possible way to provide that proof.
Our IP and tooling guide already recommends dated design records. This guide adds a practical evidence workflow: keep a project folder connecting the initial idea, each design change and the resulting samples. Agree who will collect records from your team and the factory before development begins.
Keep dated sketches and original files
Keep rough sketches as well as finished drawings. Record the creator, actual creation date, project name and version on each item. Scan paper drawings while retaining the originals. Preserve editable design files alongside exported copies, so the record includes working material rather than only a polished final presentation.
Save the emails or messages that accompanied drawings when they were sent for quotation or sampling. Keep attachments in their original form. If you assemble the archive later, record when you assembled it separately from when the design was created; do not backdate missing records.
Connect revisions to factory samples
Maintain a change log naming the previous version, the proposed change, who suggested it and the date. Attach marked-up drawings, factory feedback and your response. Distinguish your own design work from factory suggestions rather than putting every change under the buyer's name.
Give each physical sample a version label matching its drawings and photographs. Record rejected versions and the reasons for changing them, not just the approved sample. Use our design revision guide for controlling factory changes; retain the supporting files here as the development history.
Photograph creation, not just the finished product
Photograph mock-ups, work in progress, assembly stages and completed samples. Show the overall form and the details being developed. Include the sample label where practical, and record who took the photograph, when it was taken and what it shows.
Ask factory staff to supply original photographs with matching sample references and explanatory notes. Preserve the original files and keep annotated copies separately. Retain sample dispatch messages and receipt records to connect the photographed object with the sample you examined.
Arrange professional certification and keep the archive
Ask a solicitor or intellectual property attorney about certifying and retaining signed, dated copies of the relevant drawings or photographs, as suggested by IPO guidance. Ask which versions to include, how the records will be identified and what their certification records. IPO also says there are other ways to prove your right and that professional legal advice is usually needed.
Maintain an indexed backup linking certified records to the original files, revision log and sample photographs. Add later changes without overwriting earlier material. Keep the evidence archive alongside the sampling workflow described in making production match the sample, so final approval does not replace the creation history.
Frequently asked questions
What design evidence should I ask the factory to keep?
Ask for original drawings, marked-up revisions, dated development photographs and messages explaining changes. Require a matching sample reference and identify who created each item.
Are photographs of the final sample enough?
Keep them, but also preserve sketches, earlier samples and revision records. A final photograph alone gives a limited account of how the design developed and who contributed.
Who can certify my design drawings?
IPO guidance suggests signed and dated drawings or photographs certified and kept by a solicitor or intellectual property attorney. Discuss which records to include with that professional.
What should I do if early design records are missing?
Collect surviving files, messages and photographs. Label later recollections honestly and do not backdate them. Ask a legal adviser to assess the available evidence and any gaps.