Please provide links to your website where the requested information can be found in English, French, or Spanish. Alternately, you may provide text responses instead of URLs if desired. If the information is not available on your website in an ATR language, then please provide text.
URLs in responses should meet the following requirements:
The term "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models.
Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in this series of Annual Technical Reports.
Information on the following topics is desired:
IP Australia’s Corporate Plan contains several strategic objectives and significant initiatives relevant to design information activities. The initiatives include the following:
In July 2025, IP Australia responded to a call from the Government for ideas to support productivity and economic growth, by identifying regulatory reform that would help boost productivity amongst Australian business. Amongst a suite of measures, IP Australia proposed two measures to facilitate growth and innovation in the design sector. The two proposals would expand design protection to include the look of a product when switched on or in use and also permit protection for part of a physical product. The Government will decide whether to proceed with legislation and further consultation in due course.
More information can be found in our consultation webpage Enhancing Australian Design Protection - IP Australia - Consultation Hub - Citizen Space.
People + Technology + Efficiency Program (P+T+E): This program was established to explore opportunities for further innovation in a rapidly changing technology ecosystem. Projects under the P+T+E Program contribute to several objectives of the Corporate Plan, and are intended to keep IP Australia efficient, relevant, and flexible in how services are delivered customers and stakeholders. The program also involved oversight of implementing our whole-of-government requirements for responsible AI use.
Product Management: During 2025, IP Australia commenced implementation of a business-led product operating model to strengthen collaboration between business and technology functions and support the ongoing development and improvement of IT products for IP rights.
Designs System Revitalisation (DSR): This multi-year project was completed at end 2025, delivering enhancements to usability, accessibility and functionality of the Designs case management system (RIO for Designs). The project implemented new user interfaces and improved workflows, resulting in improvements to operational efficiency.
During 2025, IP Australia commenced implementation of a business-led product operating model to strengthen collaboration between business and technology functions and support the ongoing development and improvement of designs related IT products.
Item | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Applications | 10,296 | 9,610 | 8,798 | 7,869 | 8,123 | 7,170 |
Registrations | 9,727 | 8,854 | 8,000 | 7,592 | 8,022 | 6,329 |
Certifications | 1,448 | 1,474 | 1,540 | 1,241 | 1,377 | 997 |
In 2025, designs applications increased by 7.1% and registrations also reached a record high by 9.9% (to 9,727 in total). Further details can be found in IP Australis’s 2026 IP Report, available at: https://ipaustralia.gov.au/tools-and-research/professional-resources/data-research-and-reports.
Latest news: https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/news-and-community
Statistics & Australian IP Report: https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/tools-and-research/professional-resources/data-research-and-reports
Information on the following topics is desired:
The primary form of publication of industrial design information is the IP Australia website. The main page is https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/designs.
In particular, applicants can access the search guide and information via the HELP button located on Australian Design Search:
The Designs Examiners’ Manual of Practice and Procedure is also available as a resource, which can also be accessed through the Australian Design Search: https://manuals.ipaustralia.gov.au/design
In part 2.2 of the Designs Examiners’ Manual of Practice and Procedure, Registration processes provide applicants with information on filing/submitting applications through Online Services portal, the Business 2 Business (B2B) interface or in paper form, either by post or in person: https://manuals.ipaustralia.gov.au/design/registration-process
Applicants for designs are encouraged to apply via electronic means through the Online Services portal. If the applicant is unable to access those online services, there are other means including by post. A higher fee structure may apply in these circumstances.
Registration and application bibliographical data is available via the Australian Design Search system: https://search.ipaustralia.gov.au/designs/search/quick.
IP Australia uses a system of classification based on the International Classification for Industrial Designs (known also as the Locarno Classification System because it is based on the Locarno Agreement). Classifications are assigned during formalities assessment prior to registration.
Australia is not a party to the Locarno Agreement, but IP Australia still uses the system to classify designs as much as possible within Australian legislative requirements and restrictions: https://manuals.ipaustralia.gov.au/design/classification-systems.
IP Australia provides information on the availability of a grace period protection for those who accidentally publish, or those who were unaware they needed to file for protection before disclosure. For example, a designer who unintentionally publishes a design on social media can still seek protection for it within the 12 months period provided it meets the criteria listed within the grace period provisions: https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/designs/applying-for-a-design/grace-period.
Information on the following topics is desired:
IP Australia provides industrial design information primarily through online publications and databases. The main source is the IP Australia website, which includes guidance on design rights and access to online services. Official information about design applications, registrations and other legal events is published in the Australian Official Journal of Designs, which is issued online on a regular basis. Detailed information on individual design applications and registered designs, including images and legal status, is available free of charge through the Australian Design Search database (https://search.ipaustralia.gov.au/designs/search/quick). These resources are provided electronically via the IP Australia website, with older journal issues available as archived PDFs.
The primary form of publication of industrial design information is the IP Australia website. The main page is https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/designs. The content available ranges from design rights facts, guides and tutorials to the Online Services portal.
The Official Journal is available online: http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/edesign/epublish/search_page.jsp? and contains the following announcements:
Offers of surrendering a design are available in the Supplement to the Australian Official Journal of Designs in PDF format.
PDF back copies of The Australian Official Journal of Designs up to June 2005 can be accessed at the following URL: http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/epublish/content/olsDesignPDFs.jsp.
IP Australia’s Designs examiners have access to information (both not available to the public, and available to the public) via our Rights in One (RIO), a Pega system, and AWS S3 storage. For examination purposes, designs examiners have unfiltered access to online resources to inform their decision making.
IP Australia also uses WIPO Digital Access Services (WIPO DAS) information for exchanging priority documentation and will transition to exclusive use of the WIPO DAS Office Portal in April 2026. The coverage of information available to examiners includes documents on the file that are not publicly available (such as information relating to before a design is registered or published).
The following information is both publicly available and available to examiners:
The following information is not publicly available prior to registration, but is available to examiners:
More information is available at: https://manuals.ipaustralia.gov.au/design/publication-and-file-access--overview.
In addition, IP Australia publishes the Designs Manual of Practice and Procedure at https://manuals.ipaustralia.gov.au/design to assist with examination.
Bibliographic data and images for registered designs post-1972 are available, free of charge via:
The legal status information of designs is available via Australian Design Search or via Australian Design Search API:
Since joining DESIGNview in September 2021, design information from IP Australia (including legal status information) is also available via EUIPO DESIGNview: https://www.tmdn.org/tmdsview-web/#/dsview
No comment provided.
Information on the following topics is desired:
Online Services: An interactive cloud-based website designed for self-filers to file applications and manage existing IPRs: https://portal.ipaustralia.gov.au/login
B2B API channel: Allows professional IP service providers to submit new applications and manage IPRs via APIs: https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/tools-and-research/professional-resources/apis
Order Management Workbench (OMW): An internal web-based interface which allows IP Australia to register and manage customer service requests along with their associated financial details in a single system. It supports tracking, processing, and maintaining these requests while ensuring continuity of business operations and data integrity. It is a bespoke java application.
Rights In One (RIO): The primary business system for design administration and examination. It runs on a PEGA Case Management system.
DocGen: The primary corporate platform for the generation of customer correspondence. In runs on Intelledox and is in the implementation stages of transitioning to the cloud based version, SmartIQ. It is integrated with RIO and the Online customer portal.
Online Services and B2B via API IPR application and management tools are cloud based.
IP Australia’s legacy systems have been moved off-premises and moved into offsite, commercial, shared data centres and high available containerised architecture has been applied to majority of critical business applications.
IP Australia uses enterprise laptops with Windows 11 Operating system and MS365 office productivity tools.
Legacy systems have been moved off-premises and moved into offsite, enterprise, shared data centres and high available containerised architecture has been applied to majority of business-critical applications.
The primary business system is the Rights In One (RIO) which runs in a cloud environment. The primary internal database is the Designs Register (which contains information that is not publicly-available).
Once the design is registered the information is available via Australian Designs Search. IP Australia also has access to the WIPO DAS to supplement the information available for internal use.
Designs examiners at IP Australia generate search files from a variety of internally and externally available sources of data. Search information is recorded and stored via the Rights in One system referred to above. The Rights in One system conducts regular automatic updates that will update and sync the search files generated by examiners.
Design examiners search the following databases and resources external to records generated by IP Australia:
The administrative team at IP Australia also use the same Rights In One system for management of electronic records, administrative support and workflow.
No comment provided.
Information on the following topics is desired:
All Australian IP rights records/documents are handled in accordance with IP Australia office procedures set down under Australian Law in archival and record management practices.
Australian Designs data is retrievable using the web-based Australian Designs Search Interface: https://search.ipaustralia.gov.au/designs/search/quick.
IP Australia provides useful tools and information on a wide range of information related to intellectual property via IP Australia’s website (http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/) including:
IP Australia provides guidelines and resources on how to search existing designs in Australia and internationally at https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/design-rights/how-to-search-existing-designs.
Engagement activities are targeted into the following groups:
Overview of primary engagement activity types:
Ongoing promotion is conducted via social media, email subscription newsletters and proactive message multiplier networks such as peak industry bodies and other government organisations.
IP Australia takes a strategic approach to engagement with small business by establishing a partnership network across government, universities and industry associations, leveraging their networks and the credibility they have in IP Australia’s target audience of start-ups and small to medium enterprises.
IP Australia is planning to release a limited series of podcasts to deliver IP education in plain English targeted at small business, start-ups and entrepreneurs. The 4-part series will cover:
See Hybrid Presentations and Workshops (30-45 minutes) above.
Please also refer to comments in previous section.
No comment provided.
Information on the following topics is desired:
The Australian Design Search API allows you to search for Australian designs and retrieve data displayed on the Australian Design Search website. The API Developer Portal can be accessed at https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/tools-and-research/professional-resources/apis.
IP Australia is engaged with the Committee of WIPO Standards (CWS) and participates in the development and application of standards for IP Offices to exchange data in automated, machine-readable ways. IP Australia is also involved in various non-CWS task forces, workshops and projects.
In particular, IP Australia participates in the Digital Transformation Task Force, which is reviewing proposed updates relating to trade mark and design rights in WIPO Standard ST.92, relating to the exchange of priority documentation.
No comment provided.
IP Australia has assisted developing countries through the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) Implementation Support Program. Notably, IP Australia contributed to consultation for the ‘Human Resources Competency Framework for AANZFTA IP Services’ led by the Philippines which supports capacity building for IP offices in the ASEAN region.
Through Australia-WIPO Funds in Trust (FiT) program, Australia has provided capacity building to women entrepreneurs and SMEs in the Pacific and ASEAN regions. The training provided enhanced their understanding on the benefits of IP and supported them to build an IP business strategy.
No comment provided.
Note: For each Standard listed below, please enter one of the following values:
"Fully implemented"
The WIPO Standard has been implemented in a manner compliant or compatible with the Standard.
"Partially implemented"
The WIPO Standard has been implemented in part. The Office practice aligns with some, but not all, requirements of the Standard.
"On implementation phase"
The decision to implement the WIPO Standard has been made and it is currently being deployed, configured, or integrated into systems and workflows.
"Planning to implement"
The decision to implement the WIPO Standard has been made; planning activities (resource allocation, timeline development, technical design) are underway before actual implementation begins.
"On assessment phase"
The WIPO Standard is under active evaluation to determine its feasibility, technical requirements, costs, benefits, and alignment with organizational needs before making an implementation decision.
"No plan to implement"
The WIPO Standard has been reviewed and there is currently no intention or plan to implement it.
WIPO Standard ST.2: Standard manner for designating calendar dates by using the Gregorian calendar
Fully implemented
IP Australia's public search tools for each IP right represent dates according to this Standard.
WIPO Standard ST.3: Recommended standard on two-letter codes for the representation of states, other entities and intergovernmental organizations
Fully implemented
IP Australia follows WIPO ST.3 and applies these two-letter codes as appropriate.
WIPO Standard ST.13: Recommendation for the numbering of applications for industrial property rights (IPRs)
No plan to implement
For industrial designs, IP Australia uses a 5-digit serial number length, which does not comply with the ST.13 recommendation of 9-digits.
WIPO Standard ST.80: Recommendation concerning bibliographic data relating to industrial designs
Fully implemented
IP Australia uses INID codes according to the Standard.
WIPO Standard ST.81: Recommendation concerning the content and layout of industrial design gazettes
Partially implemented
IP Australia follows most, but not all the recommendations of the Standard.
WIPO Standard ST.86: Recommendation for the processing of industrial design information using XML (extensible markup language)
No plan to implement
IP Australia does not use ST.86 XML for design data.
WIPO Standard ST.87: Recommendation for the exchange of industrial design legal status data
No plan to implement
IP Australia's processes are similar to the Standard, though terminology is not fully aligned. No formal decision has been made to implement.
WIPO Standard ST.88: Recommendations for electronic representation of industrial designs
Partially implemented
Mostly implemented, with partial alignment with Recommendations 15 and 18.
WIPO Standard ST.90: Recommendation for processing and communicating intellectual property data using web APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)
Partially implemented
APIs developed by IP Australia default to JSON as the request and response data formats. As needed, external interactions provide XML and follow WIPO Standards including ST.90.
WIPO Standard ST.91: Recommendations on digital three-dimensional (3D) models and 3D images
No plan to implement
IP Australia accepts PDF-format only for 3D models of design applications. These can be used as an aide for examination, but are not considered official representation and are not published.
WIPO Standard ST.92: Recommendations on the data package format for the electronic exchange of priority documents
Planning to implement
In 2026, IP Australia's priority document exchange mechanisms will change in preparation for ST.92. Design documentation will be exchanged via WIPO DAS Portal.
WIPO Standard ST.96: Recommendation for the processing of intellectual property information using XML (extensible markup language)
No plan to implement
This Standard is not in use for industrial designs at IP Australia at this stage.
WIPO Standard ST.97: Recommendation for processing of intellectual property data using JSON
Partially implemented
Industry standards and IP Australia naming standards are followed for most JSON payloads.
No comment provided.
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