Like many others, I owe a lot to Steve Jobs. Some of the designs and intellectual property management strategies he pioneered at Apple were, and remain, the subject of my research and teaching. His work, along with that of the many talented people at Apple, continue to inspire me. The New York Times has a [...]
Posted tagged ‘Design’
Steve Jobs: Creator and Intellectual Property Strategist
October 6, 2011Apple Asserts iPhone and iPad Shape Trademarks
April 25, 2011Apple recently sued Samsung, claiming that the Korean manufacturer’s mobile phones and tablets infringe the trademark rights related to the iPhone and iPad line of products. I have written extensively about Apple’s unique and sophisticated approach to securing its design-related innovations with overlapping intellectual property rights. As I’ve mentioned in those writings, very few manufacturers [...]
Several ways to protect a website
July 18, 2010How does one protect a website with great functionality and excellent design? The default is to obtain copyright on the expressive elements of the website. However, these other means are also used: Utility patents can secure innovative functionality as a method/algorithm. For example, Netflix obtained this patent to secure the way its website guides users [...]
Independent Designers: Here’s a Powerful Tool to Combat Knock-Offs
June 19, 2010I’m always troubled when I hear stories about independent designers who are ripped off by knock-off artists, large retail chains and unscrupulous exporters who take advantage of low-cost manufacturing costs to catch a free ride from a designer’s work. Reporter Christina Binkley wrote an interesting article on this very topic in The Wall Street Journal [...]
More Shape Trademarks
September 16, 2009Special thanks to my friend in Athens, Ga., Marc Lazar, for pointing out additional shape trademark possibilities. I have expanded the archive of these fascinating products. Note: The product image is followed by the issued trademark.
Bud Light’s Trademark Fiasco
September 16, 2009I came across a recent post on an ip blog that does a nice job describing the trademark issues surrounding beer cans using university colors.
Vote For Your Favorite Shape Trademark
September 10, 2009My research has led me to a somewhat exotic area: 3-D product shape trademarks. These are rare but powerful forms of intellectual property. They are usually reserved for product shape designs that have iconic characteristics. Their rarity suggests that the average company does not typically invest as much in product design as they should. Here [...]
Google Obtains Design Patent For Its Website
September 4, 2009For some time now, I have noticed how Google has obtained several design patents for its website and user interface. See below. They also recently applied for and obtained a new design patent for the layout of search results. Click here to see it. A design patent is not your typical patent, and it only [...]
Louis Vuitton Wins a $32 Million Trademark Judgment
September 2, 2009That’s a pretty big sum for a trademark infringement case, litigated in a federal court in Northern California. What is interesting is it wasn’t levied against some knock off artists directly. Instead, the charge was contributory infringement (kind of like aiding and abetting) against web site hosts that allowed fake L.V. hand bags to be [...]
Back to School
September 1, 2009Attention student innovators. If you have had a revelation for a product that would make dorm life better, visit this site to enter a contest: Students of Invention Contest Just think “lava lamp”.
