Since 2015, it is possible to extend the time of protection of industrial designs, where the registration rights have already expired – basing on the provisions of Copyright Act, if, however, such designs meet the requirements for being considered as a creative work. Using the possibility of prolonging the time of protecting the monopoly of the right holder under the Copyright Act is attractive for the copyright holder because of a longer – than in the case of registration right – period of protection, which, as a general rule, lasts 70 years from the death of the author. Therefore, an important issue is the interpretation of the requirements for protection under the Copyright Act. Their analysis will be preceded by a comparative analysis of the requirements for protection under the Industrial Property Act.