Design is a creative product that combines ideas, artistic treatment, and technical skills, reflecting the designer’s individual identity and ability to provide innovative visual solutions. With the widespread use of digital technologies and the ease of sharing content online, designs have become increasingly vulnerable to copying, unauthorized reuse, or attribution to individuals other than their original creators. This has raised important concerns regarding artistic and literary theft and the need for legal protection of creative works. Plagiarism and artistic theft in the field of design may refer to taking a work, idea, or distinctive creative elements from another designer and presenting or using them without acknowledging the original creator or obtaining the required authorization where permission is legally necessary. Such practices may take various forms, including directly copying a design, making minor modifications and presenting it as an independent work, incorporating distinctive elements from another design into a new work, or publishing a design without identifying its creator. The nature of legal protection varies according to the type of work and the rights associated with it. Copyright and intellectual property laws provide legal frameworks for protecting creative works and may include moral rights, such as the right to be identified as the creator, as well as economic rights relating to the reproduction, publication, distribution, and exploitation of the work. Depending on its nature, certain designs may also qualify for other forms of protection, such as industrial design protection or trademark protection, subject to the requirements established by the applicable laws. One of the most important methods of protecting a creative work is documenting the work and establishing ownership. Designers can retain original files, different stages of the design process, dated versions, and correspondence related to the creation of the work. They may also use available registration or deposit mechanisms where applicable under national law. Such measures can help establish the connection between the designer and the work in the event of a dispute. Designers should also clearly define the conditions under which their works may be used, particularly when publishing them on websites and social media platforms. Copyright notices and licensing terms can be used to clarify whether a work is available for use and whether copying, modification, or commercial exploitation is permitted. When unauthorized use of a design is discovered, the designer may pursue the remedies available under the applicable national law. These may include sending a notice requesting that the unauthorized use cease, requesting the removal of infringing content from digital platforms, or approaching the competent judicial or administrative authorities to assert rights and seek compensation where the legal requirements are satisfied. Addressing plagiarism and artistic theft should not be limited to legal action after infringement has occurred. It should also begin with promoting a culture of respect for intellectual property. Designers, students, educational institutions, and media organizations all have an important role in strengthening this culture by emphasizing the importance of attributing works to their creators and distinguishing legitimate artistic inspiration from copying or appropriating creative elements in a manner that infringes upon the rights of others. In the digital environment, awareness and professional responsibility have become increasingly important because the rapid circulation of a design can cause infringement to spread widely within a short period. Therefore, combining proper documentation, awareness of legal rights, clear licensing practices, and continuous monitoring of published works can provide a practical approach to reducing the risks of design infringement. In conclusion, protecting designs from plagiarism and artistic theft is not merely a legal responsibility; it is also an essential part of the ethics of creative practice. Respecting designers’ rights preserves the value of creative work, encourages innovation, and contributes to building an artistic and professional environment based on originality and recognition of intellectual and artistic effort.