What is design protection primarily used for?

Design protection is primarily utilized to safeguard the visual appearance of a product, which includes its shape, ornamentation, and overall aesthetic attributes. This type of protection ensures that original designs cannot be copied or imitated by others, granting the designer exclusive rights to use their specific design features. It plays a crucial role in industries where uniqueness and visual appeal significantly contribute to a product's marketability. By receiving design protection, a creator can prevent others from producing similar designs that could cause confusion among consumers, thus fostering creativity and innovation in design.

While protecting a brand or maintaining a company’s reputation are important aspects of business, they are typically covered under trademarks or reputational management strategies rather than design protection. Similarly, patents focus on protecting inventions or functional aspects of a product, which is different from the visual design aspect that design protection covers. Thus, the correct focus on innovative shapes or ornamentation highlights the unique feature of design protection.