design patent

IP News

USPTO Modernizes Design Patent Examination for GUIs, Icons, and VR/AR – Dropping the Strijland-Era Screen Requirement

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published its Supplemental Guidance for Examination of Design Patent Applic...
IP News

No More Display Screens in the Drawings: The Quiet Revolution in Design Patent Law

On March 13, 2026, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published supplemental guidance for the examina...
IP News

USPTO Relaxes Design Patent Requirements for Digital Interfaces – Physical Display Depiction No Longer Required

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published updated examination guidance on March 12, 2026, signific...
IP News

Japan’s FY2026 IP Achievement Awards Announced — Toray, Panasonic, Toyota Among 31 Honorees

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced on April 10, 2026 the recipients of the FY2026 Intellec...
IP News

USPTO Loosens Design Patent Requirements for Digital UIs and Icons (March 2026)

USPTO March 2026 guidance removes display panel requirements, allows 'for' claim language, and extends design patent coverage to XR interfaces.
Column

How Coca-Cola Turned a Glass Shape Into a 100-Year IP Asset: The Trade Dress Strategy Behind the World’s Most Recognized Bottle

How Coca-Cola turned a 1915 design brief into over a century of IP protection — and what the contour bottle strategy teaches every business about trade dress, design patents, and secondary meaning.
Column

Apple vs. Samsung: The Design Patent War That Changed What a Phone Is Worth

Apple vs. Samsung's 2011-2018 design patent war produced a $539M verdict, a Supreme Court ruling on damages, and permanently changed how the tech industry values aesthetics as IP. A deep investigation.