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Redesigning Design Patent Validity

JD Supra Law

Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit sitting en banc recently overruled the long-standing test for determining obviousness of design patents in LKQ Corporation, Keystone Automotive Industries, Inc. Patent and Trademark Office (the USPTO) issued new guidelines for the examination of design patent applications.

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USPTO Publishes Final Rule Establishing Separate Design Patent Bar

IP Watchdog

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.

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Impact of Full Federal Circuit’s Design Patent Decision is Far from Obvious

IP Watchdog

Applications for design patents have surged in recent years, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) reporting a 20% increase in applications over the last five years.

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MarkIt to Market® - September 2023: How Design Patents Can Complement Brands' Trademark Portfolios

JD Supra Law

Many brand owners are familiar with the value of registered trademarks, which safeguard the goodwill cultivated between mark holders and consumers by reducing confusion as to the source of the associated goods. By: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

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USPTO Issues Supplemental Guidance on Design Patent Protection for Computer-Generated Electronic Images

JD Supra Law

Last month, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published Supplemental Guidance for examination of design patent applications related to computer-generated electronic images.

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What are the requirements for getting a design patent?

Patent Trademark Blog

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.

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Design Patent Obviousness: Federal Circuit Rehearing and Examiner AI-Assisted Searching

JD Supra Law

The law for design patent obviousness may change in the upcoming months when a decision is issued from the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals from the February 2024 en banc rehearing of LKQ Corp. With the use of AI-assisted searching, design patent examiners appear to be issuing more obviousness rejections.