Industrial Designs Search   

Finding similar industrial designs for you! 

A design patent is a legal instrument that safeguards the aesthetic aspects of a product, encompassing its shape, lines, contours, colors, texture, and overall external appearance, either in whole or in part. This form of patent is crucial for protecting the unique visual features of a product but does not extend to its functional attributes.

The documentation of a design patent includes various drawing views to thoroughly represent the product's appearance from multiple angles. The key drawing views include:

1. Perspective View: Provides a three-dimensional representation of the object, offering a realistic view from a specific vantage point.

2. Isometric View: Depicts the object from angles where the dimensions along each axis are equally scaled, facilitating an understanding of the product's form.

3. Orthogonal View: Offers a series of two-dimensional views from different sides (front, top, side) without perspective distortion, enabling precise measurements.

4. Exploded View: Shows the components of the product separated from each other but positioned to reflect how they fit together.

In a design patent, solid lines illustrate the design elements that are being claimed, while broken lines indicate the context or unclaimed parts of the design. It is important to note that during infringement analysis, only the features represented by solid lines are considered.

The lifespan of a design patent varies by jurisdiction. Typically, a design patent is valid for 15 years in most countries from the date of grant, with notable exceptions like China, where the validity period is 10 years from the filing date. Interestingly, many countries do not require the payment of maintenance fees to keep a design patent in force.

Conducting a design search before filing for a patent can be highly beneficial. It helps to:

1. Identify existing designs that are identical or similar.

2. Prevent future legal disputes over infringement, which can be costly.

For conducting thorough design searches, several key databases are recommended:

1. Hague Express: Offers access to international design registrations managed under the Hague System.

2. DesignView: A tool that provides access to design registrations from participating offices around the world.

3. ASEAN Designview: Focuses on design patents registered in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

4. PatSnap: Provides access to a wide range of patent and design databases.

5. USPTO Design: The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s database for design patents.

6. Google and Google Images: Can be used for preliminary searches of designs.

7. National design databases from countries like China, Australia, Japan, India, etc., offer insights into region-specific design protections.

Overall, understanding and utilizing the protections offered by design patents is essential for safeguarding the aesthetic elements of innovative products, ensuring that creators can prevent unauthorized use of their designs while navigating the complex landscape of intellectual property rights.