Patent Trademark Blog

MARCH 22, 2022

How can an Amazon seller benefit from design patents? IP simply cannot be ignored when you’re selling on Amazon. A common misconception is that IP is not a factor when low-tech or no-tech products are involved. If you are an Amazon seller, design patents must be considered – either offensively or defensively.

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Patent Trademark Blog

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

Can you include a logo in your design patent application? Let me share a strategy if you’re thinking about filing a design patent application for a new product that might be considered somewhat similar to existing products. It is possible to include a logo in your design patent application for a product.

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Patent Trademark Blog

DECEMBER 12, 2022

What is the filing deadline for a US design patent based on a foreign priority application? When it comes to filing related patent applications across different countries, filing dates are critical. A US design patent application must be filed within six months of your foreign priority date.

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Patent Trademark Blog

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Design Patent Application: Where to Start Are you thinking about filing a design patent, but not sure where to begin? We’ll walk through the information and materials required to start the design patent application process. Need to file a design patent? You found the right post.

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IP Law 360

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Patent and Trademark Office issued its 1 millionth design patent to a licensed cosmetologist on Tuesday as more inventors apply for design patent protection than any other time in history.

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IP Watchdog

MAY 16, 2023

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to the Federal Register that proposes a separate design patent practitioner bar. Design patent practitioners would only be able to participate in design patent proceedings.

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JD Supra Law

MARCH 25, 2022

Design patents are no longer the poor cousin in the world of patents. Today they’re taking their seat at the table with utility patents, copyrights, and trademarks as part of an overall intellectual property protection strategy. By: Erise IP

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Patent Trademark Blog

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

How long is the average design patent application? There are two tracks or timeframes for US design patents. On the fast track known as Rocket Docket , you may be able to get a design patent granted in about 5-10 months from the filing date if there are no rejections. Need to get US design patents quickly?

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IP Law 360

APRIL 7, 2023

Various players in the world of replacement auto parts have urged the full Federal Circuit to reconsider the test used for determining design patents are invalid as obvious, arguing the court is treating design patents more like trademarks than utility patents, thus making invalidations nearly impossible.

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Patent Trademark Blog

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

How to Register IP for your Clothing Your new clothing brand may have a variety of IP to protect. Let’s look at how you should protect and trademark your clothing lines. How to Trademark Your Clothing Brand Trademarks can be especially tricky to register when it comes to clothing. Be careful here.

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Patent Trademark Blog

MAY 15, 2023

Why Amazon Sellers Should Care Amazon Brand Registry In order to ensure a smoother application process for Amazon Brand Registry, the most important thing to do is to derisk your trademark application with the USPTO. Need a registered trademark to maximize full benefits of Amazon Brand Registry? Avoid do-it-yourself trademark filings.

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IP Law 360

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Patent and Trademark Office said on Wednesday that it has created a separate bar for design patent practitioners, meaning those focused on ornamental designs don't have to meet the rigorous engineering and scientific requirements of the standard patent bar.

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IP Watchdog

JUNE 23, 2022

Design Patent No. D779,828 (‘828 patent) invalid. The district court held the ‘828 patent to be invalid for reasons of functionality and obviousness.

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IP Law 360

MAY 15, 2023

Patent and Trademark Office has begun laying the groundwork for a separate design patent bar that it floated by the public last year, issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking Monday.

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JD Supra Law

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

Kilpatrick Townsend’s Babak Kusha recently spoke at the Federal Bar Association’s IP Law Fall Conference 2022 on the topic of “Design Patents for Patent Professionals.”

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IP Law 360

AUGUST 29, 2023

Patent and Trademark Office, Taiwanese auto parts makers and major insurance trade groups are among those that have weighed in at the Federal Circuit on a legal campaign coming from a rival of General Motors that aims to change how courts make decisions about design patents. Lawyers for the U.S.

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IP Law 360

JANUARY 5, 2024

Patent and Trademark Office is now accepting applicants for its design patent practitioner bar, opening the door to practitioners with more artistic qualifications to prosecute design patent applications without having to meet the more rigorous standards for utility patent practitioners.

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LexBlog IP

DECEMBER 6, 2023

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) is amending the rules of practice in patent cases by creating a separate space for individuals with educational backgrounds in design-related disciplines to qualify to practice before the USPTO in the limited capacity of design patent application proceedings.

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IP Tech Blog

AUGUST 22, 2022

In order to safely and effectively enjoy the economic benefits deriving from the use of their brands’ goodwill and product reputation in the Metaverse, businesses need to secure the appropriate IP rights. Are they protectable by design patents? In China, a GUI alone cannot be registered as a design patent.

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Patent Trademark Blog

JULY 11, 2022

Mission Impossible: Can you block a design patent application? Design patent applications are not publicly viewable. It can be nearly impossible to figure out what design patent applications are pending. Suppose your competitor indicates that their product is patent-pending. This will be tricky.

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Patent Trademark Blog

APRIL 21, 2022

What is the design patent infringement test? The test for design patent infringement involves a visual comparison between the patented design and the accused product. Therefore, if an accused product seems very close to such prior art designs, there is a decent probability of no design patent infringement.

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LexBlog IP

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“Federal Circuit”) clarified the law on comparison prior art in design patent cases. Design Patent No. D657,093 (“the D’093 Patent”) via sales of its products containing HeatWave™ liner material, as illustrated side-by-side below.

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Intepat

MAY 28, 2024

Trademark dilution is like death by a thousand cuts, and it is crucial to prevent the first cut. Apple’s smart business strategies have successfully upheld the validity of its trademark, preventing it from being diluted. Notably, Apple trademarked its store design in the United States in 2011.

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Patent Trademark Blog

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

Should you use a design patent to protect your new product? When compared to utility patents , design patents are often overlooked as an IP asset. Let’s explore when it makes sense to pursue a product design patent. Is a functional product disqualified from design patent protection?

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Patent Trademark Blog

APRIL 26, 2022

Can filing a design patent protect you from infringement? Patent professionals, including myself, constantly stress that a patent does not protect its owner from infringement. Anyone who has read my posts on the differences between patentability and infringement will understand this long-standing principle.

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The IP Law Blog

JUNE 9, 2022

A design patent protects a new, original, ornamental design for an article of manufacture. Ornamental” means that the design is purely decorative; the patentability is based on its visual aspects. Design patents protect only the appearance of the article, not any aspect of functionality.

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Patent Trademark Blog

MARCH 1, 2022

Can a design patent cover a type of material? We all know that designs patents cover the ornamental appearance of a product or idea. Functionality is protected by utility patents. Can a design patent show a specific material, substance or composition of matter? Be careful though.

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LexBlog IP

JUNE 9, 2022

A design patent protects a new, original, ornamental design for an article of manufacture. “Ornamental” means that the design is purely decorative; the patentability is based on its visual aspects. Design patents protect only the appearance of the article, not any aspect of functionality.

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Patent Trademark Blog

MAY 26, 2021

What is the meaning of broken or dashed lines in a design patent? While I’m not sure if you can call it a loophole, US design patents enable a particular option in the drawings that can potentially broaden protection. In a US design patent, the claimed design comprises what is drawn in solid lines.

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LexBlog IP

AUGUST 22, 2022

In order to safely and effectively enjoy the economic benefits deriving from the use of their brands’ goodwill and product reputation in the Metaverse, businesses need to secure the appropriate IP rights. Are they protectable by design patents? In China, a GUI alone cannot be registered as a design patent.

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Design Patent Designs Design Patent 52

LexBlog IP

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Over a hundred years ago, Congress created “design patents” to offer companies a way to protect the “ornamental” features of products. Design patents strike a fair balance in terms of IP protection versus cost. Design patents strike a fair balance in terms of IP protection versus cost.

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Patent Trademark Blog

JANUARY 5, 2022

What is a design patent continuation application? US patent law allows an applicant to file a “child” patent application while the “parent” application is still pending. This rule applies to both utility and design patent applications. Be careful though.

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IP Law 360

APRIL 29, 2024

A federal jury in Phoenix has found that Chicago hooded sweatshirt retailer Top Brand owed over $18 million for infringing design patents and trademarks of two brothers who sell the "Comfy" sweatshirt that was featured in an episode of "Shark Tank."

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Patent Trademark Blog

MAY 26, 2023

With all the noise on the web about patents being ineffective, I typically follow up by asking about their backup plan to stop copycats without patents. Is there still a way to get IP if you’re too late to patent your products? Can you trademark a product shape or feature? Invariably, I get no good answers.

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Patent Trademark Blog

JUNE 10, 2021

What are your chances of getting a design patent? A helpful way to estimate your probability of success in obtaining a US design patent is to consider the average design allowance rate which is the percentage of design patent applications allowed by the USPTO.

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IP Law 360

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

The Justice Department's Antitrust Division, a technology industry group and others have thrown their support behind a proposal to create a separate design patent bar at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, while two key intellectual property groups have pushed back on the idea.

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IP Law 360

MAY 20, 2024

A federal judge in Chicago has ruled that General Motors's longtime legal rival there has failed to convince him that engineers working for the automaker showed "deceptive intent" when filing a design patent at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office using the wrong name.

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