Why are the Top Brands relying more on Design Patents
Share:
The awareness of design patents is increasing among inventors and businesses as Industrial Designs are less costly and offers an all-round protection for your IP. To completely protect their inventions, companies are filing for design patents in addition to utility patents for an integrated protection.
Since consumers prefer innovative and visually appealing products, they are now considered a competitive factor in intellectual property protection. By filing multiple design patents, a company can create a robust legal barrier to avoid unauthorized copying of their products shape and visual appearance for up to 15 years. Thus, conducting a thorough design patent search becomes crucial.
Enhancing Market Value and ROI
Design patents greatly add to the value of the product and portfolio of a company’s assets. In areas where the design is what makes it different, legal protection for the product design gives the company exclusivity, preventing competitors from copying or diluting the market with similar lookalike products. Thus, building product desirability allows companies to command premium pricing and get customer loyalty.
It can also be monetized through strategic licensing agreements and partnerships. Companies can license their patented designs to third parties without the need for direct production. This strategy may help generate additional revenues.
One such well-known product taking advantage of this strategy is Apple Inc. Apple’s extensive design patent database has greatly contributed to their ability to charge premium prices and prevent competitors from copying their iconic designs. Nike and Crocs have also capitalized on their design patents and made distinct product lines that maintain their market presence. Companies like these demonstrate how designs that include patent strategies improve long-term return on investment and increase brand reputation.
Protecting Brand Identity
Brand identity is often tied to a product’s design, making design patents crucial for safeguarding visual elements that distinguish a brand. These patents prevent imitation, protecting a company’s market position and brand equity.
Many leading brands leverage design patents to reinforce their identity. Louis Vuitton, for instance, protects its iconic monogram pattern, a key element of its luxury status. Sony secures the distinct designs of its electronics, and Tesla protects its unique car designs, all ensuring their brand’s uniqueness and value in the market.
A strong industrial design, protected by patents, is a strategic asset that attracts consumers and maintains brand distinction.
Global Competitiveness
Achieving a strong patent portfolio in the global market is important for global competitiveness. A design patent portfolio managed across various jurisdictions with careful planning, ongoing monitoring, and adaptation to different regulatory frameworks requires close attention. You must continuously monitor the competition infringement potential and respond promptly to such challenges. In addition, regular quality checks go a long way in assessing the value and allow businesses to trim off archaic designs while concentrating on commercially important ones.
Global protection can be very challenging and expensive based on the differences in jurisdictions and cross-border disputes. Such hurdles may include varying patent laws, high costs, and long approval processes. Despite all of this, businesses that place a high priority on global protection get a competitive advantage. For instance, companies like Apple, Nike, and Louis Vuitton, for their high-end goods, obtain design patent protection in key markets, guaranteeing protection of their identities throughout the world.
As a Defence Mechanism
Design patents also serve as a robust defence mechanism against counterfeiting, imitation, and infringement. With the rise of global competition and e-commerce, counterfeiting has become a significant threat to companies’ brand value and market share. Design patents provide companies with the legal foundation to take swift action against infringers, ensuring that counterfeiters cannot profit from copying or diluting their products.
Legal precedents highlight the strength of design patents as a defence tool. Apple’s victories against Samsung for design infringement, Honda’s successful lawsuit against Hebei Shuanghuan Auto Co. for copying its CR-V design, and Whirlpool’s win over Videocon for infringing on its ‘Ace’ washing machine design all demonstrate the strategic value of enforcing design patents. These cases show how companies can protect their market position and deter competitors from copying their designs, helping to maintain dominance and prevent price erosion.
Role played by design patents in the emerging technologies
The role of design patents is expanding rapidly in emerging technologies such as AI, robotics, and biotech. As these sectors innovate at a rapid pace, the need to protect the design aspects of new technology products has become increasingly critical. In industries where technical functionality often intersects with aesthetic appeal and user experience, design patents provide essential protection.
Evolving policy and regulatory changes, such as the standardization of global design patent laws, updated piracy and counterfeiting laws, stricter penalties for infringers, and harmonization across jurisdictions, are set to reshape design patent protection. To maximize and protect IP assets, you must adopt agile and forward-thinking strategies in response to these shifts.
Design patents have become indispensable assets in the modern industrial landscape, playing a strategic role in driving market value, protecting brand identity, and fostering innovation. As industries evolve, design patents are no longer merely defensive tools but key drivers of revenue, brand differentiation, and global competitiveness. IP professionals and stakeholders must continuously refine their design patent strategies to ensure robust protection across markets and adapt to the shifting dynamics of emerging technologies.
With the recent launch of PatSeer’s AI-driven Industrial Design Search platform, it offers unrivalled global coverage and AI-powered image recognition capabilities, allowing companies to quickly identify potential design infringements and ensure robust protection for their products. By utilizing PatSeer’s comprehensive intellectual property database and leading image search technology, businesses can efficiently manage their design portfolios, monitor competitors, and stay ahead of global trends, thereby maximizing their market value and protecting their brand identity.
