article thumbnail

Inferring Secondary Meaning from Product Design Copying

Patently-O

by Dennis Crouch In patent law, product copying can serve as indirect evidence of non-obviousness. A pending petition before the Supreme Court asks a similar question in the trademark realm – to what extent does copying of a product serve as evidence of secondary meaning of the product associated trade dress.

Copying 57
article thumbnail

Naked Wolfe Owner Says Schuh, Simmi Copied Shoe Designs

IP Law 360

The owner of the Naked Wolfe brand has accused two online footwear retailers of design and copyright infringement, alleging that they "slavishly copied" its chunky boot designs.

Copying 52
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

U.S. Supreme Court Alert: If you copy an unpatented furniture design, does that help prove that the design was iconic and protected as a trademark?

JD Supra Law

Furniture manufacturer admits intentionally copying designs, asks Supreme Court, What does copying really say about trademark status of design? While offering a new design for sale without obtaining a patent often means the design is now in the public domain, copyright and trademark laws could mean otherwise.

Copying 64
article thumbnail

Copyrightability Of Designer Clothes And Costumes

IP and Legal Filings

Introduction An artist’s ideas, be it for a renowned painting, sculpture, novel, technological design, jewelryor fashion are his own. However, many a times, we witness these designs being copied or recreated. A copyright protection is the ability of a designer to protect his original designs through the copyright laws.

Designs 91
article thumbnail

Furniture Store Copied French Designer's Works, Judge Rules

IP Law 360

A Los Angeles furniture business infringed the copyrights of a late iconic French designer, a California federal judge has concluded, saying the estate that brought the suit established that the furniture designs at issue are original and not copied from other sources as the defendants argued.

Copying 40
article thumbnail

Protecting Semiconductor Chip Design under the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984 (SCPA) – Part I (Registration and Inspection)

Intellectual Property Law Blog

Mask work is a type of intellectual property protection designed to protect layout designs (topographies) of integrated circuits. The SCPA legally protects layouts of integrated circuits upon registration, making them illegal to copy without permission. Compendium: Chapter 1200, sections 1201-1202. In particular, Section 1213.2

article thumbnail

Protecting Semiconductor Chip Design under the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984 (SCPA) – Part II (Infringement and Defense)

Intellectual Property Law Blog

In analogizing semiconductor chips to traditional areas of copyright law, the legislative history notes that, just as a plagiarist who copies only one chapter of a book may be held liable for infringement, a person may be liable for copying a part of a mask work if it is a qualitatively important portion that results in substantial similarity.

Designs 246