To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. The Japanese Design Law has stood at a tipping point ever since the law was first enacted 130 years ago. On April 1, 2020, revisions to the Japanese Design Law came into effect and the scope of protection expanded to graphic interface images (GUIs), exterior and interior designs of buildings. Furthermore, the revised law has enhanced protection of design variations. Conventionally, the scope of protection was limited to the shape, patterns or colors, or any combination thereof, of an article (tangible object; movable properties) in Japan. However, as disruptive technologies, such as