From the category archives:

Design Patents

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Where Can I Find More Information About Intellectual Property From a Business Perspective?

by Clifford D. Hyra on June 19, 2009

Most of the information available on intellectual property has a legal focus.  Even this blog, which is intended for a business audience, addresses particular legal issues a great deal. That sort of information can be invaluable, but at the same time I am looking to expand a little more into the role that IP plays [...]

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How Are Design Patents Different From Copyrights?

by Clifford D. Hyra on May 25, 2009

Design patents protect the appearance of a variety of commercial objects.  Copyrights protect visual creative works (among other things), such as paintings and sculptures.  You may wonder whether copyright and design patent protection overlap or how to you decide which to use.
The Copyright/Design Patent Subject Matter Distinction
Copyrights protect nonfunctional objects.  The copyrighted subject matter must [...]

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How is a Design Patent Different From a Utility Patent?

by Clifford D. Hyra on May 11, 2009

Note: I have not been posting much lately do to extended travel and work considerations, but I should be back to a normal posting schedule shortly. Now to the topic at hand.
Design Patents Protect Appearance – Utility Patents Protect Functionality
Design patents differ from utility patents (what we usually think of, when we think of patents), [...]

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What is a Design Patent?

by Clifford D. Hyra on April 25, 2009

Design patents protect the appearance (ornamental design) of a functional object.  The object must be functional- not artwork that is valued only for its appearance.  However, the appearance of the object, to be protected by a design patent, must be purely ornamental and not functional.  If the appearance of the object is dictated by its [...]

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How Do Design Patent Applications Differ in Terms of Foreign Priority, Novelty, and Other Timing Issues?

by Clifford D. Hyra on April 17, 2009

This post covers a very specialized subject and I am writing it 90% as a reference for myself, but hopefully some other practitioners out there will get some use out of it if nothing else.
What is a Design Patent?
The appearance (“ornamental design”) of useful articles (like cabinets, cars, shoes, etc.) that are not purely creative [...]

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