On this Day in 1966 the design patent for the Vehicle was granted U.S Patent No. Des. 375,704. Also on this day in 1991 the design patent for Aerial Toy was granted. U.S. Patent No. Des. 321,732.
The Vehicle, otherwise known as the Batmobile, is one of many patented Batmobiles, this vehicle specifically was designed by Tim Flattery, Barbara Ling and Joel Schumacher, of California. This design patent application was granted on November 19, 1996 as U.S. Patent No. Des. 375,704. It was assigned to DC Comics for a term of 14 years.
This design patent is one of many that are registered to DC Comics relating to the Batman movies. The original Batmobile, used in the television series, was granted on October 18, 1966 as application number Des. 205,998.
As times changed so did the Batmobiles, they got makeovers and were made to look sleeker and faster. One Batmobile designed for Batman Forever (1995) was issued 3 patents on just that car alone. The Batmobile from Batman and Robin (1997) was made to resemble a bullet, with wings emerging from the rear of the vehicle when it started and retracting when the vehicle came to a stop.
Not only have the Batmobiles been issued design patents but a lot of the items you seen in the films have also been granted design patents. The plane that Batman flies in most of the films was patented on November 19, 1991 as Des. 321,732, Batman’s “Head Dress was also was patented on September 15, 1992, Des. 329,321. Even the gadgets that he uses have been patented.
Recently in the world of intellectual property Batman has been making the news. A manufacturer and seller of automobile replicas was selling replicas and kits to customers to modify the car to look like the Batmobile, he even advertised the car as the Batmobile. DC Comics filed suit against the seller and the courts held that the Batmobile was a “character” entitled to copyright protection. This decision was again affirmed on September 23, 2015 by a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit.
