Background
Industrial designs (or design patents in the United States) are
gaining a higher profile as part of a company's intellectual
property (IP) strategy. Designs were central in the Apple v.
Samsung patent battles. Protection now extends beyond product
design to retail store layouts, user interfaces, and animated
icons.
Below are some highlights of the practice and regulation
changes.
Greater Flexibility
Companies can benefit from the following welcome practice
changes, which make it easier to leverage practice similarities
with Europe and the United States, among other jurisdictions:
- Applications can be filed
electronically using PDF files, which will help avoid
drawing quality objections
