Domestic design system

Do the words "design" and "design" have the same meaning?

"Design" and "Ingenuity"

The difference between "design" and "design"

This page explains the difference between the words "design" and "design."

First, let me briefly explain the meaning of each of the words "design" and "design."

What is “design”?

If you look up the word "design" in a Japanese dictionary, you will find the following definition:

  1. Designing a work of art in the fields of architecture, industrial products, clothing, commercial art, etc., while taking into consideration its practical aspects. "Designing a city," "Designing a uniform," "Designing an interior"
  2. To devise a design or pattern. Also, the thing itself. "To design furniture" "To design a trademark"
  3. To plan and design specifically with a purpose. "To make life comfortable"

From "Digital Daijisen"

The term "design" generally means decoration or a pattern, and is a translation of the English word "design," but it is also used broadly to mean creations related to shapes such as architecture, and design proposals.

Design refers to the ingenuity used to achieve goals such as beauty and ease of use, as well as the appearance and appearance that reflects that ingenuity.
It can also be thought of as an effort to improve the appearance or function of a product. Design is the tangible expression of goals such as beauty, ease of use, and novelty, and can be considered "design" whether it is a practical item or an abstract concept or image.

What is a “design”?

If you look up the word "design" in a Japanese dictionary, you will find the following definition:

  1. To put effort into painting, poetry, events, etc.
  2. Decorative techniques applied to the shape, color, pattern, and arrangement of art, craft, and industrial products. Design.

From "Digital Daijisen"

According to the dictionary, the meaning of "design" is broad, and one related field of "design" could be called "design."

The meaning of "design"

The value of art works, crafts, industrial products, etc. can be increased by making various improvements to their shape, color, and patterns, or by making them look more beautiful.

Information about design naturally has a large influence on product purchasing decisions. For example, when deciding between two products of the same type, if they have the same performance and quality, you will likely choose the one with the design you like. You may also choose a product based on its design, even if it is a little more expensive.
Thus, product design has become an important factor for consumers when making a purchase.

"Design" in the Design Act

The Design Act is a law that protects designs. Under the Design Act, the right acquired when a design application is registered with the Japan Patent Office is called a design right. Design rights are an intellectual property right, just like patents.

Product design serves as a criterion for consumers when selecting products, and in business it is an important factor that determines the sales of a product. Therefore, the Law was enacted with the aim of protecting excellent designs, enabling exclusive manufacture and sales, and preventing imitation by others.

The purpose of the Design Act is to "encourage the creation of designs by promoting the protection and utilization of designs, thereby contributing to the development of industry (Article 1 of the Design Act)."
In addition, the term "design" is defined as the shape, pattern, or color of an article, or a combination of these, the shape of a building, or an image (Article 2 of the Design Act).

In other words, one of the important requirements for obtaining a design right is that it must be "industrially applicable," i.e., capable of being mass-produced. Designs under the Design Act are also called industrial designs or industrial designs. Items that cannot be mass-produced industrially, such as one-off works of art, are not protected by the design system.

Please refer to the following article for a detailed explanation of designs that can be registered as designs.
■ "You can also register things like this!'

The difference between "design" and "design"

"Design" and "mere design" basically have the same meaning. However, "design" and "design under the Design Act" have different meanings.
In the case of "design," the term includes abstract concepts and images, and the range of objects that can be expressed by the word is extremely broad. In contrast, a "design" protected by the Design Act must be the design of an industrial product as defined by the Act, and so its scope is limited.

In addition, a simple drawing on paper is not considered a design under the Design Act. If the design is not integrated with an object, it cannot be protected by the Design Act.

In this article, we have introduced the difference between design and designs protected by the Design Act.
If you are unsure as to whether a design you have created is protected under the Design Act, please feel free to contact our patent office.

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