What is a Design Patent?

A patent will legally protect a product or idea if someone else attempts to use it as their own for profit. There are different kinds of patents, including utility patents, design patents, and plant patents. The most common form of patents is the utility patent, but the design patent is extremely important for those Fort Worth inventors who have a design for a product or idea in mind but have not yet realized it. The attorneys of Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C., work hard to ensure that inventors in the Fort Worth area are protected, especially if someone tries to violate their design patents.

Understanding a Design Patent

According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a design patent will be issued “for a new, original, and ornamental design embodied in or applied to an article of manufacture.” The patent also:

• Permits the owner to keep others from using/making the product
• Permits the owner to keep others from marketing/selling the product
• Exists for fourteen years after original grant date
• Is exempt from maintenance fees

These minutia of a design patent might be confusing for some, but an experienced Fort Worth intellectual property attorney can help you better understand how you are protected, and can represent you if someone violates your design patent by trying to use or sell your product or idea.

Contact an Intellectual Property Attorney in Fort Worth

If you or someone you know is interested in knowing more about design patents and the protections they offer, contact the attorneys of Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C., today by calling our Fort Worth offices at (214) 824-1414.