IP Australia has published their 2024 report on applications for intellectual property protection, detailing trends across design rights, patents and trademarks. The report provides a record of formal applications during 2023.

The design rights chapter shows an 11.5% increase in filings since the previous year, comprised of a strong increase in Australian filings in the building and construction sector, and also a notable increase in filings from China. 

The continuing increase in use of formal protections led to a record high of 8776 design rights applications overall in 2023.

The top five classes in terms of number of applications were recording, teleco or data processing equipment, transport, furnishing, games and transport packaging and containers.

The top five countries applying for design rights were the US, China, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK.