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US INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION FOR DESIGNS

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Trademarks Copyright Patents Trade Secrets Subject matter Indication of source Expression fixed in a tangible medium Inventions; discoveries Information unknown to general public that provides competitive economic advantage Symbol ™ ℠ ® © Patent No. __ none Acquire Rights Use; expand protection through registration Creation; expand protection through registration Issued Patent (following application process) keep it a secret, procedures enacted Purpose Consumer protection Encourage creativity Encourage invention Fair competition Law Federal; state Federal Federal State

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US Patents <ul><li>Three types: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Utility </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>DESIGN </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Plant </li></ul></ul>

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DESIGN PATENTS <ul><li>Protect the “look” or appearance of an article of manufacture </li></ul><ul><li>Protection lasts 14 years from the date of issue </li></ul>

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Apple, Inc.

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS OF PATENTABILITY <ul><li>“ Design” must be: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>New </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Useful </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Non-obvious </li></ul></ul>

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STATUTORY BARS <ul><li>Transitioning from “first to invent” to “first inventor to file”* (* effective March 16, 2013 ) </li></ul><ul><li>1 year from your first publication or sale or offer for sale, you must file your patent application </li></ul><ul><li>Examples </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Public use </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Public sale </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Publication </li></ul></ul>

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Design Patent Government Filing Fees* *September 26, 2011 Large entity Application Fee $250 Search Fee $120 Examination Fee $160 Issue Fee $990 Total $ 1520

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Enforcement <ul><li>Standard for Infringement </li></ul><ul><ul><li>“ Ordinary Observer” Test- “would an ordinary observer, familiar with prior art designs , be deceived into believing that the alleged design is the patented design.” ( Egyptian Goddess, Inc. v. Swisa, Inc , 543 F.3d 665, (Fed. Cir. 2008)) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>“ Factor out” functional aspects ( Richardson v. Stanley Works , 597 F.3d at 1288 (Fed. Cir. 2010)) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>But… if the patented design includes elements, both functional and ornamental, elements are included in the “ordinary observer” test. ( Elmer v. Take-Out Express , 67 F.3d 1571 (Fed. Cir 1995)) </li></ul></ul>

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Comparison with other US Intellectual Property Protection for Designs <ul><li>Copyrights </li></ul><ul><li>Trade Marks / Trade Dress </li></ul>

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WHAT CAN BE COPYRIGHTED? <ul><li>Original </li></ul><ul><li>Works of Authorship </li></ul><ul><li>Fixed in a Tangible Medium </li></ul><ul><li>Of Expression </li></ul>

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DURATION OF COPYRIGHT <ul><li>Vest upon creation in author of work </li></ul><ul><li>Duration </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Life of the last surviving author + 70 years </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>For works made for hire, anonymous works, pseudononymous works, shorter of: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>95 years from first publication or </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>120 years from date of creation </li></ul></ul></ul>

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REGISTRATION <ul><li>Copyright automatic, but to register… </li></ul><ul><ul><li>$35 for electronic application </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Presumption of validity (5 years) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Necessity for entry into court </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Give notice using © </li></ul></ul>

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BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION <ul><li>Prerequisite for lawsuit to enforce copyright </li></ul><ul><li>Evidence of validity of the copyright and facts stated in the certificate if registered within 5 years of first publication </li></ul><ul><li>Availability of statutory damages and attorneys’ fees </li></ul>

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Trade Dress Defined <ul><li>Trade dress refers to the visual appearance of a product or its packaging that signifies the source of the product to consumers </li></ul><ul><li>Covers non-functional aspects (e.g. shapes, designs, colors, or materials which do not serve a utility or function outside of creating recognition in the consumer’s mind. </li></ul><ul><li>Protected in the U.S. by the Lanham Act (Federal level, same as U.S. Trade Marks) and Common Law (State level) </li></ul>

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Protection by registration (Federal) and/or actual use common law (State) <ul><li>Optional Formal registration for Federal Protection … </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Principle Register or Supplemental Register </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Protection requires that the trade dress be “distinctive.” </li></ul><ul><ul><li>(consumers perceive a particular trade dress as identifying a source of a product) </li></ul></ul>

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BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF Trade Dress Protection <ul><li>Benefits… </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Potential infinite duration of protection </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Disadvantages… </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Requires the trade dress to have acquired distinctiveness </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Must “police” the “trade dress” in order to maintain protection </li></ul></ul>

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<ul><li>Stephen Weyer </li></ul><ul><li>Email: [email_address] </li></ul><ul><li>Facebook: facebook.com/stephen.weyer.esq </li></ul><ul><li>LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenweyer </li></ul><ul><li>Twitter: @weyer_esq </li></ul>© 2011 Stites & Harbison PLLC