Why trade dress beats design patents
Likelihood of Confusion
MARCH 19, 2025
Republished by Blog Post PromoterVia the Diva of Design Law, Sarah Burstein: This is a good example of how trade dress provides broader protection than design patents.
This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Likelihood of Confusion
MARCH 19, 2025
Republished by Blog Post PromoterVia the Diva of Design Law, Sarah Burstein: This is a good example of how trade dress provides broader protection than design patents.
Intellectual Property Law Blog
APRIL 18, 2023
One way to, at least partially, overcome this is to consider design patent protection for computer generated icons and certain aspects of the graphical user interface (GUI) elements of a computer program. Strategic use of design patents can be an important part of an overall patent strategy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
JD Supra Law
JANUARY 23, 2025
As we predicted in our 2023 report, 2024 was a banner year for design rights in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) agreed to consider en banc whether the long-standing design patent obviousness test required modification. and elsewhere. In last years report, we noted that the U.S.
Patent Trademark Blog
MARCH 13, 2025
How long does it take to get a design patent? On average, a design patent application can take about 16 months for the initial examination. Strip out the fast-tracked design applications from the equation, and the average wait time for non-expedited design applications would certainly be longer.
JD Supra Law
JANUARY 27, 2025
International Trade Commission (ITC) remains a pivotal forum for addressing intellectual property disputes under Section 337, particularly those involving design patents.
Patently-O
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
In our new paper, The Truth About Design Patents , we debunk three widely held—but incorrect—views about U.S. design patents. Taken together, these myths paint a grim picture of design patents: Half of all design patent applications are rejected. Acquiring Design Patents.
JD Supra Law
JANUARY 23, 2025
The majority of 2024 was a quiet year for design patent cases at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The court issued five opinions involving U.S.
Patently-O
FEBRUARY 7, 2022
WIPO administers the WIPO-administered Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs. In 2015, the US linked its design patent system with Hague — this gives U.S. designers easier access to global design rights; and non-U.S. design patent system. by Dennis Crouch.
JD Supra Law
JANUARY 28, 2025
Inter partes activity involving design patents at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) was relatively low in 2024. The PTAB rendered just two inter partes decisions involving design patents: Next Step Group, Inc. Deckers Outdoor Corp., IPR2024-00525, Paper 16 (PTAB Aug. 6, 2024) and Hangzhou Taihe Trading v.
Patently-O
JUNE 22, 2022
Evo’s design patent claims an “ ornamental design for a foldable bag ” as shown in the figures above. district court held the patent invalid as both functional and obvious; and also not infringed. Functionality : Design patents focus on ornamentality rather than utility. by Dennis Crouch.
Patently-O
OCTOBER 6, 2021
This is an important design patent decision that substantially narrows the scope of prior art available for anticipation rejections in design patent cases. The result is that it should become easier to obtain design patent protection. 1997) (design patent scope is limited to the ornamental features).
JD Supra Law
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024
Federal Circuit and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) reshaping the landscape of design patent law. These updates reflect a broader trend towards more flexible and inclusive IP protection, ensuring that innovators can better safeguard their relative designs. By: Bennett Jones LLP
IP Watchdog
NOVEMBER 15, 2023
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced that a final rule will be published tomorrow, November 16, in the Federal Register implementing a design patent practitioner bar. A request for comments (RFC) was also published in October 22.
Patently-O
NOVEMBER 15, 2023
by Dennis Crouch The USPTO is officially establishing a separate design patent practitioner bar with its final rule published on November 16, 2023 and effective January 2, 2024. Currently, a single patent bar governs registration for anyone seeking to practice before the USPTO in utility, plant, and design patent matters.
Patently-O
MAY 21, 2024
by Dennis Crouch In a highly anticipated en banc decision, the Federal Circuit has overruled the longstanding Rosen-Durling test for assessing obviousness of design patents. Rejecting the argument that KSR did not implicate design patent obviousness, the court reasoned that 35 U.S.C. § GM Global Tech. Operations LLC , No.
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.
JD Supra Law
AUGUST 12, 2024
Kilpatrick partners Megan Bussey, Nicki Kennedy, and Michael Bertelson recently presented at the 20th annual KTIPS (Kilpatrick Townsend Intellectual Property Seminar) on the topic of “A New Era Dawns for Design Patent Validity - How the Federal Circuit Has Rewritten Design Patent Obviousness Law.” design patents.
JD Supra Law
JUNE 26, 2024
May 21, 2024) and its implications for design patents. The panel will discuss the new test for obviousness and what hurdles it will present for design patents. The panel will offer guidance addressing obviousness issues in design patents. GM Global Technology Operations L.L.C. By: Strafford
IP Watchdog
NOVEMBER 17, 2024
Design Patent #D1,050,634 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Design Application #29888619, titled “Rope Throw Dog Toy” on September 18, 2024, and the patent was issued on November 5, 2024. And on Friday, November 15, I received my official patent in the mail.
Patently-O
MAY 24, 2024
GM decision, the USPTO issued a memorandum to its examiners providing updated guidance and examination instructions in light of the court’s overturning of the long-standing Rosen-Durling test for determining obviousness of design patents.
Patently-O
JUNE 20, 2022
Companies associated with William Grecia have filed over a dozen cases alleging infringement of design patents for “animated graphical user interfaces.” The patent asserted in that case, U.S. It’s well-established that design patents cover the visual designs that are actually claimed, not the larger design concepts.
Patent Trademark Blog
MARCH 16, 2022
What makes a design patent better? Design patents are quite simple. You do a bit of research into the differences between a design and utility patent , and conclude that design is the way to go. A broader patent gives the owner greater rights to stop the competition from copying the patented design.
Patent Trademark Blog
FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Are there any requirements for getting a design patent? Design patents can be quite powerful. Even though design patents are easier to get than utility patents, it is still possible for a design application to be rejected. 35 USC 171 sets forth the requirements for getting a design patent.
JD Supra Law
MAY 24, 2024
On May 21, 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an en banc opinion overruling the long-standing Rosen-Durling test for obviousness of design patents in favor of the analytical framework used for utility patents outlined in Graham v. John Deere Co. and KSR Int’l Co. Teleflex Inc. LKQ Corporation et al.
IP Law 360
NOVEMBER 22, 2024
Delegates from the world's major intellectual property groups signed a treaty Friday that would, if approved, establish new rules to facilitate the filing of design patents.
IP Watchdog
JUNE 30, 2023
GM Global Technology Operations, which affirmed a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) ruling that LKQ failed to show by a preponderance of the evidence that GM’s design patent was anticipated or would have been obvious. Patent D855,508 covers a “vehicle front skid bar.”
JD Supra Law
AUGUST 12, 2024
Until now, case law has defined an “article of manufacture” solely for purposes of damages in design patent infringement actions. The federal court’s decision to reject this position has now harmonized the definition of an article of manufacture across multiple statutes.
IP Law 360
JUNE 3, 2024
The Federal Circuit's decision discarding long-standing tests for proving that a design patent is invalid as obvious means the world has changed for patent examiners and applicants, attorneys said, and the new standard could lead to more design patent applications being turned down.
JD Supra Law
FEBRUARY 23, 2023
In 2022, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) did not issue any final written decisions involving design patents. However, it did issue three decisions granting review of challenged design patents and three decisions denying review of challenged design patents, maintaining 2021’s design patent institution rate of 50%.
JD Supra Law
JUNE 10, 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. 35 USC section 171. By: Weintraub Tobin
The IP Law Blog
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Design patents and utility patents are two different things. Design patents protect ornamental designs, such as the shape of a perfume bottle or the design on flatware. To be patentable, however, both designs and functional inventions must satisfy two requirements.
IP Law 360
MAY 21, 2024
The full Federal Circuit on Tuesday overruled long-standing tests for proving that design patents are invalid as obvious, finding that the rules are "improperly rigid" and holding that the obviousness test for utility patents should be used instead.
JD Supra Law
FEBRUARY 14, 2023
Utility patents are for functional inventions. Design patents protect the look of something functional, regardless of whether the functional aspects are new. Because of this, a popular use of design patents is to protect the outside of common consumer products. What’s more common than the written word?
JD Supra Law
DECEMBER 12, 2023
Last month, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published Supplemental Guidance for examination of design patent applications related to computer-generated electronic images.
IP Law 360
NOVEMBER 19, 2024
Patent and Trademark Office allow design patents on computer icons shown using new technologies like holograms and augmented reality, saying a rule limiting protection to images on display screens is outdated. Intellectual property law groups and Apple Inc. have recommended that the U.S.
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.
JD Supra Law
MAY 18, 2023
The US Patent and Trademark Office announced a notice of proposed rulemaking on May 16 that would create a separate design patent bar. The proposed changes would effectively expand the admission criteria for those who practice in design patent cases before the USPTO. By: Morgan Lewis
IP Close Up
DECEMBER 3, 2024
In recent years design patents have come to have a more vital role in the intellectual property landscape. Design patents protect the ornamental aspects of Continue reading
JD Supra Law
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
design patents: three precedential opinions and three unprecedential opinions. Unlike 2021 (where the two precedential opinions on design patents issued by the Federal Circuit both involved appeals that originated at the Patent Office), all three precedential opinions in 2022 involved appeals that originated from district courts.
JD Supra Law
OCTOBER 12, 2021
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s recent decision on an appeal from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to limit prior art for design patent applications to only analogous fields may make it easier for applicants to obtain design patents and more difficult for challengers to invalidate them.
JD Supra Law
MARCH 20, 2025
The landscape of design patent law has recently evolved with the introduction of a new standard for determining obviousness. For decades, theRosen-Durlingtest was used to assess obviousness of design patents. By: Womble Bond Dickinson
JD Supra Law
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
Last year, in our inaugural issue of “The Year in Review,” we reported that since the landmark jury verdict in the IP litigation between Apple and Samsung in 2012, which awarded more than $1B to Apple for infringement of several design patents, interest in design patents grew exponentially.
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
JD Supra Law
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
Last year, in our inaugural issue of “The Year in Review,” we reported that since the landmark jury verdict in the IP litigation between Apple and Samsung in 2012, which awarded more than $1B to Apple for infringement of several design patents, interest in design patents grew exponentially.
Expert insights. Personalized for you.
We have resent the email to
Are you sure you want to cancel your subscriptions?
Let's personalize your content