SAM IP Patent Attorneys

A design patent protects the overall appearance of a product rather than the product's functional features. More particularly, a design patent protects the visual ornamental features embodied in, or applied to, an article of manufacture. Design patent protection lasts for a period of fourteen years calculated from the date the design patent is issued. A design patent is typically easier to obtain than a utility patent and consequently can be obtained at a much lower cost.

An inventor may seek to obtain a design patent and derive the value therefrom in a number of situations. For example, the inventor may simply have developed an invention with a very unique design which the inventor wants to protect. It could be also that the inventor may have come have an invention which is not functionally unique and thus does not satisfy the patentability requirements necessary to obtain a utility patent, but the appearance of the invention may still be protected through a design patent. Additionally, the inventor may want multiple layers of patent protection and desire to obtain both a utility patent and a design patent on the same invention. 

​

It is true that utility patents offer a much greater degree of protection than design patents, but design patents have become increasingly more valuable to inventors due to recent court cases which make infringement of design patents easier to prove. When apart of a well planned patent strategy, a design patent may become a significant asset to inventors and companies. Additionally, a design patent is much faster to obtain than a utility patent and in some instances can be obtained in as few as six to nine months. Thus, a design patent is a good way to obtain some patent protection when you otherwise would have none. 

​

At Sam IP Legal Solutions, we have the legal and technical knowledge to provide you with the greatest degree of protection for your invention at an affordable cost. Contact us today to get started in securing patent rights for your inventions.