In CTB Inc. v. Hog Slat, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, found that a chicken feeder design was not eligible for trade dress protection because it improved the way the feeders worked. It was therefore...more
Design patents are often the go-to option for protecting the visual features, or design, of a product. But design patent protection is not always available, such as after the product has been on sale, offered for sale, or...more
The Intellectual Property High Court (IPHC) rendered a judgement on 29 March 2018, granting a permanent injunction on the sale of shelving units marketed by the defendant....more
It’s finally the start of baseball season: you can almost feel the gentle spring breeze, smell the peanuts and popcorn, and hear the crack of the bat. You may also notice something more colorful, dotted, and perhaps...more
Airwair, the owner of the Dr. Martens brand, recently launched a series of lawsuits in the Northern District of California to enforce the trade dress of its “iconic boots and shoes.” One lawsuit was filed in October against...more
The July 2016 issue of Sterne Kessler's Mark It to MarketTM newsletter discusses an upcoming SCOTUS design patent case, In One Nation Enterprises and stylization of a descriptive term, and currently open gTLD Sunrise Periods....more
In an unusual patent claim construction order on March 2nd, a federal district court held a design patent invalid for functionality. This is a relatively rare outcome because claim construction in design patent cases is often...more