Design Patents

A design patent may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture.  In contrast to utility patents, which protect the functional aspects of an invention,  design patents are particularly useful in protecting the shape or ornamentation associated with a new design of a product.  Design patents are also useful and powerful tools in protecting design aspects associated with a graphical user interface (GUI) of a software product displayed on a computer or mobile device.