Design patents continue to be a popular protection scheme for developers of consumer products and screen displays. Top ten assignees thus-far in 2016 with most recent examples:
- Samsung (Toner Cartridge) [Samsung has 4x more design patents than any other assignee on the list]
- LGE (Mobile telephone)
- Apple (Mobile telephone)
- Microsoft (Icon)
- Ford (Truck Grille)
- Google (Screen display for Maps)
- Nike (Tights)
- Jaguar & Land Rover (Rims)
- 3M (clip)
- P&G (sanitary napkin)
- Tencent (screen display)
Googe’s design patent on the GUI for its maps app is great. Priority date to 2012 and they filed (because of restriction requirement between 9 groups):
29/530,926 filed on 06-22-2015 which is Patented claims the benefit of 29/438,579
29/530,939 filed on 06-22-2015 which is Patented claims the benefit of 29/438,579
29/530,943 filed on 06-22-2015 which is Patented claims the benefit of 29/438,579
29/530,950 filed on 06-22-2015 which is Patented claims the benefit of 29/438,579
29/530,953 filed on 06-22-2015 which is Patented claims the benefit of 29/438,579
29/531,044 filed on 06-23-2015 which is Patented claims the benefit of 29/438,579
29/531,046 filed on 06-23-2015 which is Patented claims the benefit of 29/438,579
29/531,056 filed on 06-23-2015 which is Patented claims the benefit of 29/438,579
It looks like every map app out there would infringe (I wish I could insert an image).
One might not be surprised to notice Samsung highly aware of the potent properties of design patents.
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