Partial designs have been officially protected under Chinese Patent Law since 2021 – a significant development for companies seeking to safeguard individual design elements such as sole patterns, graphical user interfaces, or packaging details. Unlike traditional design patents, which protect the overall appearance of a product, partial designs allow for the targeted protection of particularly distinctive or functional components. However, the practical applicability of this protection tool was only fully established in early 2024, when specific implementation regulations came into force, providing clear requirements for patent filings.
Leading companies in industries such as sportswear, electronics, cosmetics, medical technology, and telecommunications are now strategically using partial designs to secure their design innovations. Examples include Nike with over 1,000 design patents for footwear components, Samsung and Apple with several hundred protections for graphical interfaces, and Huawei, Siemens, and Shiseido with detailed protection strategies for control panels and product packaging. These efforts focus both on securing consumer-facing, brand-defining features such as accessories, bottles, or surface materials, and on protecting functionally relevant user interface areas in technical devices.
This results in a clear strategic advantage for companies: even in products with similar overall shapes, subtle differences – such as the texture of a camera lens, the depth of a tread, or the arrangement of a control element – can significantly influence user perception and purchasing behavior. In highly competitive markets characterized by design homogeneity, partial designs thus offer a precise and effective protection instrument.
We recommend a multi-tiered filing strategy: core features should be protected through precisely defined partial designs, and where appropriate, supplemented with variations through divisional applications. In addition, so-called defensive designs can be used to increase the design-around costs for competitors. Combining partial designs with trademarks and utility models further enhances the company’s ability to deter infringement and creates a robust protection framework against imitators.
Partial designs are more than just a new form of legal protection – they are a strategic IP tool that enables companies to secure unique selling points in the Chinese market. Businesses that use this instrument purposefully and support it with sound legal strategy can gain a decisive competitive edge in an increasingly design-driven environment.
China Intellectual Property Blog 