Advanced Design Patenting Techniques – Part I

The days of treating design patent applications as unsophisticated and easily drafted alternatives to utility applications may be at an end.  More and more patent practitioners are recognizing the power of design patent applications and particularly how mastering advanced design patent techniques can provide broader protection.  If you have any reservations about using such advanced techniques, let us assure you that design patent giants the likes of Apple and Google have been doing it for years and with great success.  We outline a number of advanced techniques using granted patents from these heavy weights. 

Apple v. Samsung – PART I - Judge Koh Weighs in on Definiteness in Design Patent Cases

This week provided two new design patent decisions in the Apple v. Samsung saga and a notice of review the ITC decision made in October of 2012.  The two decisions, by Judge Lucy Koh (S.D.C.A.),touch on important areas of design patent law, so we will be presenting our analysis in a two-part series. Today’s post discusses Judge Koh’s decision on Samsung’s Motion for invalidity of Apple’s design patents based on indefiniteness.