Trademark and Design Protection of Applied Art

Abstract: The aim of the thesis is to analyse suitability of trademarks and designs for protection of products’ appearance, name its advantages and disadvantages and identify and discuss conditions that must be fulfilled for an appearance of a product to be protected by each of the two mentioned types of protection. The thesis further aims to ascertain whether it is, in general, more difficult to obtain a trademark or a design protection of products bearing in mind difficulties that may arise during the registration process. The thesis focuses mainly on the European Union trademarks and Community designs.   Further, the scope of protection conferred by both instruments is analysed and evaluated and it should be determined which type of protection confers a wider protection on its owner. The thesis also aims to respond a question “which of the analysed intellectual property law instruments is more suitable and favourable for protecting an appearance of products.” Therefore, based on this thesis, users of trademarks and designs should be able to decide which of these two types of protection they should use in order to protect their products or products of their clients.