Changes to renewal periods and fees for EU designs will come into effect on 1 May 2025.
The changes are part of the EU design reform package previously reported by Forresters. Holders of EU designs (EUDs), previously known as Community Designs, need to be aware of the changes and how they impact their rights.
What are the changes to renewal periods?
The basic period for renewing EU designs and the grace period if a design is not renewed within the basic period are changing. The renewal period for registered EUDs will end on the expiry date of registration which is typically the anniversary of the filing date of the registration). The six-month grace period to renew a design then begins on the day after the registered EUD expires.
Previously, the renewal period ended on the last day of the month in which a design expired, and the six-month grace period started on the first day of the following month.
For example, a registered EUD with a filing date of 15 June 2020 would expire on 15 June 2025 but would have a renewal deadline of 30 June 2025 under the traditional system. The six-month grace period would then begin on the 1 July 2025.
Under the new system, this registered EUD would have a renewal deadline of 15 June 2025 – the exact expiry date. The six-month grace period would then start on 16 June 2025.
What are the changes to renewal fees?
The costs for renewing registered EUDs will also increase for the first to the fourth renewal periods, with a particularly significant increase for the third and fourth renewals.
The table below compares the current renewal fees to the new renewal fees effective as of 1 May 2025.
| Current renewal fee | New renewal fee | |
| First renewal period | €90 per design | €150 per design |
| Second renewal period | €120 per design | €250 per design |
| Third renewal period | €150 per design | €400 per design |
| Fourth renewal period | €180 per design | €700 per design |
What do holders of EU designs need to do?
Renewal fees are payable within the six-month period before a design expires, meaning that many EU registered design holders may be able to avoid these increases for their next renewal period.
Therefore, for those EU registered design holders with renewal fees falling due between 1 May 2025 and 31 October 2025, we advise paying these fees before the reforms come into effect on 1 May 2025 to benefit from the lower fee schedule.
