What Is an Industrial Design Patent?

An industrial design patent is a type of intellectual property right that protects the visual design of a product. Industrial designs can include the shape, pattern, ornamentation, and/or combination of lines in a product. It is meant to protect the unique aesthetic of a product and give exclusive rights to its creator.

A successful industrial design patent must meet certain criteria in order to be granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The design must be both novel and non-obvious.

The novel aspect requires that the design has not been seen before, while non-obviousness requires that it not be so similar to existing designs that it would be obvious to an ordinary observer. Additionally, it must have some practical use, as purely ornamental designs are not eligible for patent protection.

To obtain an industrial design patent, an inventor must submit an application to the USPTO along with drawings or photographs of their design. This application is then reviewed by USPTO examiners who will determine if the invention meets all relevant criteria.

If approved, the inventor will have exclusive rights to the use and sale of their product for up to 15 years from issuance date. During this period, no other individual or company may make or sell a substantially similar product without permission from the original inventor.

Industrial Design Patents in Action
Industrial designs are often used in everyday products such as furniture, appliances, toys, vehicles, building materials and more. In many cases these products are protected by industrial design patents which give exclusive rights to the original inventor or company while also creating incentive for innovation within industries where competition is high. For example Apple Inc holds several industrial design patents on its mobile phones which prevent competitors from selling phones with similar aesthetics without permission from Apple Inc first.

Conclusion
What Is an Industrial Design Patent? An industrial design patent is a type of intellectual property right that protects the visual design of a product such as its shape, pattern, ornamentation and combination of lines from being copied by competitors without permission from its creator or inventors for up to fifteen years from issuance date. This encourages innovation within industries where competition is high while simultaneously allowing inventors to reap financial benefits from their creations during this period of exclusivity.