A mobile app's checkout screen, a smartwatch face, the menu layout of an in-car infotainment system — UI design is a core part of user experience and one of the most-copied digital assets. Korea protects these visual assets through screen designs ("image designs") under the Design Protection Act. The 2021 amendment dramatically expanded scope: protection now reaches not only "GUIs applied to a device" but also standalone screen designs — including holograms, projected interfaces, and laser virtual keyboards that have no traditional product casing.
What screen design covers — the 2021 shift
KIPO's screen-design guide defines a screen design as "an image that aids device operation or where the device's function is exercised." Before 2021, only GUIs applied to a product (monitor, phone, TV) were eligible. The 2021 amendment added the screen image itself as a separate design category, allowing protection without an external product form — a direct response to AR/VR, holograms, and projected interfaces emerging in the fourth industrial revolution era.
| Aspect | Pre-2021 | Post-2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Subject matter | GUI applied to a device only | Device application + standalone screen design |
| Drawings | Must show device application | Device or "screen design" alone allowed |
| AR / VR / hologram | Hard to protect | Separate class available |
| Animated GUIs | Static captures only | Frame sequences allowed |
| Related-design grouping | By device unit | By screen unit also possible |
Three Korean filing formats
- Device-applied: "a GUI displayed on a phone screen" — drawings show the GUI on a specific device. The traditional, lowest-risk path
- Display-panel generic: title like "a display panel having a screen design," with the device shown as a dotted rectangle — secures rights across any device the GUI may run on (example: KR 30-0821767)
- Standalone screen design: the new 2021 category — AR, VR, or projected interfaces with no external product form
Animated GUIs — frame-sequence drawings
Splash screens, payment-success animations, swipe transitions — anything changing over time is depicted with frame-sequence drawings. The opening frame, intermediate frames, and the final frame appear in order, and the design description explains the transition logic. Specifying frame counts and timing increases the registered right's stability.
USPTO — 2026 supplemental guidance
On March 13, 2026, the USPTO updated its design-patent guidance, relaxing the requirement to depict a display screen for GUI design patents. Previously, applicants had to draw the display (monitor, phone) at least in dotted lines. Now, if the title and claim properly identify the article of manufacture, the display can be omitted from the drawings. A direction parallel to Korea's 2021 reform, but five years later.
Hague System — multinational coverage
Use a Korean screen-design filing as the base for a Hague System international design application — one filing reaches 100+ jurisdictions, and the Korean filing date counts as priority. The standard global GUI playbook is Korea + Hague within six months. The US, EU, China, and Japan are all members, so the major markets are covered.
GUI protection — design vs patent vs copyright
| Aspect | Screen design | Patent | Copyright |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protects | Visual appearance | Function / operation | Creative expression |
| Term | 20 years from filing | 20 years from filing | Author's life + 70 |
| Right arises | Upon registration | Upon registration | Automatic at creation |
| Cost / time | Moderate / 4-18 months | High / 14-16 months | Low / days for registration |
| Design-around | Stops similar visuals | Functional workarounds possible | Independent-creation defense |
| Evidence load | Registration drawings | Claim interpretation | Must prove creation date |
Pre-filing checklist — five items
- Article-of-manufacture choice: device-specific vs standalone screen design — pick by scope and global compatibility
- Drawing views: front view + use state + perspective if needed; capture aspect ratio and colors precisely
- Animated GUI handling: state frame counts, intervals, and transition flow in the design description
- Related-design groupings: dark mode, light mode, responsive variants as "basic + related designs"
- Pair with copyright: design rights start at registration, copyright at creation — register both around launch
- Design term
- 20 years from filing
- 2021 amendment effective
- 2021 standalone screen designs
- USPTO GUI guidance
- 2026-03-13 display depiction relaxed
- Partial-exam time (Class 9)
- 4-6 months
- Hague reach
- 100+ jurisdictions
Frequently asked questions
Can I hold a screen design and a patent on the same GUI?
Yes, and it's recommended. Use the screen design for visual appearance and a patent for interaction logic. A copycat that tweaks the visuals can still hit the patent; one that swaps the algorithm can still hit the design. The combination meaningfully raises design-around cost.
Do I need to register dark mode and light mode separately?
In principle, different colors mean different designs. But filing dark and light versions as a basic design + related design package gives joint coverage at a fraction of the duplicate-filing cost.
Isn't copyright enough for GUIs?
Copyright has an independent-creation defense: a competitor who claims to have built the same GUI without seeing yours can often escape liability. A registered screen design compares the result against the registered drawings, so independent-creation arguments don't help the defendant. Hold both for any GUI you actually want to enforce.
File a Korean screen design with iphere
Pick the right article-of-manufacture, design animated GUI drawings, group dark/light variants, and extend via Hague — in one workflow.