The USPTO issued significant new supplemental guidance (Guidance) on March 13, 2026, updating its rules for design patent protection ...

Demand for design patent protections has been increasing in the last decade, and there is no indication that this trend will slow down. James Rieke, partner at Merchant & Gould, spoke to Minnesota ...

In today’s competitive market, the visual appeal and unique ornamental design of a product can be as crucial to its success as its name or functionality. Protecting the distinctive look and feel of ...

As a business-savvy medical device executive, you likely are well versed on the value of utility patents. But are you aware that a design patent for your product can be an equally important component ...

One of the earliest innovations in personal computing was the application of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) as an intermediary between users and computer programs. This innovation made computers ...

“Two recent Federal Circuit decisions highlight the importance of the words in the title and claims of a design patent when seeking and enforcing a patent.” Is the scope of a design patent determined ...

“While patenting a website’s computer implemented methods presents tricky Section 101 issues, the GUI’s of those sites are surprisingly easy to patent via design patents.” A common question I get is ...

Design patents, like utility patents, are required to comply with a requirement that an applicant's design is non-obvious. 35 U.S.C. §§103, 171. But design patents protect the non-functional aspects ...

Practitioners said that this week's Federal Circuit decision in Apple v Samsung brings welcome clarity for design patents and highlights their increasing importance, especially with advances in 3D ...