Copyright Registration for Designs, Logos and Graphics

A logo, illustration, brand graphic, advertising layout or original packaging design may be an important business asset. Creating the design, delivering the files to a customer and registering copyright are, however, separate legal matters that should be addressed properly.

Copyright in an original graphic work arises automatically when the work is created in an objective form. State registration is not mandatory, but it may help document the particular work and the rights claimed. Contracts establish who owns the economic rights and how the design may be used.

VINCO’S Legal Company assists with copyright registration for logos, illustrations, graphic works, artistic designs, advertising materials and other original visual creations in Ukraine.

• original logos, emblems and graphic signs;
• illustrations, drawings, digital art and original characters;
• original visual identity and brand graphics;
• graphic elements for websites, apps and presentations;
• posters, advertising creatives and banners;
• cover art, label, packaging and print designs;
• infographics, diagrams, pictograms and icons where original;
• sketches, compositions and other works of artistic design.

A very simple layout or ordinary geometric symbol may not meet the originality threshold. Before filing, the particular work and its proper legal category should be identified.

Copyright protects the original visual expression of a logo. A trademark identifies and distinguishes the goods or services of one business from those of others. Industrial design protection may apply to the appearance of a product if the relevant legal requirements are met.

These forms of protection may coexist. A copyright registration certificate is not a substitute for trademark registration and does not, by itself, establish exclusive brand rights across particular product or service categories.

• before licensing or transferring a logo or graphic work to a client or partner;
• before launching a brand or major advertising campaign;
• when illustrations or designs are sold or licensed commercially;
• when employees, freelancers or agencies have created the visuals;
• when preparing for investment, franchising or IP due diligence;
• when competitors or marketplace sellers may copy the design;
• to document a particular completed version of an original graphic work.

The author is the individual whose creative work produced the design. Receiving the digital files, paying an invoice and owning the economic copyright are not necessarily the same thing.

Ukrainian law contains a special rule for commissioned works of fine art: as a general rule, economic rights remain with the author unless a contract or law provides otherwise. An exception applies to works specially created as elements of a computer program. Agreements for commissioned logos, illustrations and graphics should therefore clearly address ownership.

• the particular works and final versions being delivered;
• whether economic rights are assigned or a licence is granted;
• permitted uses, term, territory and rights to adapt the work;
• use in advertising, websites, products and packaging;
• whether rights may be transferred or sublicensed;
• rights to editable files, fonts, stock images and third-party components;
• the designer’s permitted portfolio use and confidentiality obligations.

A paid invoice or delivery of Figma, AI, EPS, SVG or PNG files should not be treated as sufficient evidence that all economic rights have been transferred.

A visual identity may contain several distinct works, including a logo, illustrations, graphic patterns, layouts and other assets. Original selection or arrangement of materials may, in some circumstances, qualify for protection as a compilation, but this does not automatically establish ownership of every underlying element.

We help identify which works should be registered separately, which may form a single work, and which assets may also benefit from trademark or industrial design protection.

Copyright protects original expression rather than ideas, styles and concepts in the abstract. It does not grant exclusive rights to minimalism as a style, standard colour palettes, ordinary geometric shapes or functional solutions.

Third-party fonts, stock photographs, templates, icons and library assets must be used in accordance with their licences. Registering a graphic work does not remove third-party rights in those components.

• a state copyright application completed in Ukrainian;
• details of the author, applicant and right holder;
• the title and a copy of the graphic work;
• for online filing of fine-art works, JPEG, TIFF or PNG images in the format required by the Ukrainian IP Office;
• publication details and supporting evidence where available;
• assignment or other ownership documents where the applicant is not the author;
• employment-related documents for employee-created works where relevant;
• a power of attorney where a representative files the application;
• proof of payment of the applicable official state fee.

Under the rules effective from 3 November 2025, the standard review period for a properly filed application at the Ukrainian IP Office is 30 calendar days. Requests to correct deficiencies or provide additional documents may extend the overall process.

Preserve the original files, creation records and contracts, and properly document the suspected infringement. The next step is to determine which rights may have been infringed: copyright, trademark rights, industrial design rights or several of them together.

Depending on the circumstances, enforcement may include a cease-and-desist letter, a platform or marketplace complaint, settlement discussions or court proceedings. A registration certificate supports the evidence but does not replace proof of ownership and infringement.

1. Initial consultation and identification of the graphic work.
2. Review of the work and available forms of protection.
3. Identification of the author, applicant and right holder.
4. Review of designer, freelancer, agency or employment agreements.
5. Correction of the chain of title where necessary.
6. Preparation of the image and supporting documents.
7. Preparation and filing of the application with the Ukrainian IP Office.
8. Correspondence and responses to official requests if necessary.
9. Receipt of the state copyright registration certificate.

• register copyright in a logo, illustration, design or other graphic work;
• review ownership and third-party asset licensing risks;
• draft design-commission, assignment and licence agreements;
• coordinate copyright protection with trademark or industrial design registration;
• prepare claims and legal positions in cases of copying;
• support pre-litigation and litigation enforcement.

Whether you created a logo, illustration or original brand graphics, or commissioned a design for your business, VINCO’S can help establish ownership, prepare the right documentation and build an effective protection strategy.