A design patent protects the ornamental appearance or “look” of an object of manufacture. Design patent protection extends only to the design features of a useful article, including its shape, configuration, or surface ornamentation. By way of contrast to utility patents, the subject matter of a design patents must be non-functional in nature. The owner of a design patent has the right to prevent others from making, using, or selling the design.
In the United States, a design patent has a term of fifteen (15) years from its date of grant and does not require maintenance fees to preserve the registration. A design patent may be obtained in addition to a utility patent for the same invention, as each provides legally distinct protection. Further, the subject of a design patent may also benefit from trademark and/or copyright protection.
To learn more about design patents, or to proceed with a design patent application, please contact the Firm by e-mail, telephone, or facsimile. We look forward to the opportunity to be of service to you.
Design Patents
Design Patents
Trusted for decades
Florida’s Oldest IP Law Boutique
Since 1959, Malloy & Malloy P.L. has focused its practice exclusively on Patent, Trademark, Copyright, and related matters, including U.S. and International Applications, Licensing, and Trials & Appeals. The Firm’s many Board Certified Specialists and Registered Patent Attorneys have served as trusted Intellectual Property counsel to entrepreneurs, small businesses, leading corporations, and research universities in the U.S. and worldwide, across a broad range of industries and technologies.
