Everything you need to know about patents, trademarks and industrial designs

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Patents, trademarks, and industrial designs are symbols that we often have to deal with when launching a startup. Thanks to these solutions, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and other companies protect their ideas and products. What do you need to know about patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, and how do you differentiate between them? Read our article to find out.

Everything you need to know about patents – index:
Types of patents
How to file a patent application?
What is a trademark?
Do you need to register a trademark?
Trademark Symbols
What is an industrial design?
Industrial designs and startups
Requesting an industrial design. How does it work?
Types of patents
Patents are an effective way to protect inventions, at least for a azerbaijan whatsapp number database period of time. For example, IBM has several patents in machine learning and quantum computing, and Ford Motor Company has patented numerous solutions related to navigation and vehicle control systems. Other companies protect their ideas in similar ways, and startups often build on innovative solutions, so patent protection is often necessary for them.

There are four different categories of patents in the United States:

Utility patent. Generally concerns new machines, systems, processes and algorithms.

Design patent. This is the protection of decorative designs (e.g. shoe design, user interface elements, bottle shape).

Plant patent. It is granted to inventors of new and unique plants, and does not include genetically modified organisms.

Provisional patent. Protects an inventor's idea for one year. During this time, you can check whether it is a good concept and whether it is worth pursuing.

How to file a patent application?
In the United States, a patent application must be filed directly with the Patent and Trademark Office, but it is best to consult a professional or registered patent attorney first. Attach a detailed description and drawings of the invention to your application, and specify what type of protection you are seeking.

In the UK, you can also file a patent application on your own or with the help of intellectual property lawyers at the Intellectual Property Office, and within the European Union at the European Patent Office. If you want worldwide patent protection, you need to file patent applications in different countries.

What is a trademark?
Another thing you may encounter when launching a startup is a trademark or service mark. Trademarks and service marks protect the words, symbols, logos, or other items that identify your product or service. For example, Adidas identifies with athletic shoes and apparel, Philips with electronics and small appliances, and VOLVO with automobiles.

Do you need to register a trademark?
A startup can become the owner of a trademark once it begins using it in connection with its product or service. This establishes rights to the trademark, but these rights are limited to the geographic area where the product or service is delivered. However, if you register a trademark, you will gain broader rights and better protection.

patents
Trademark Symbols
Trademarks can be used with special symbols such as TM, SM, and ®. This tells both competitors and consumers that the startup reserves the right to a specific trademark and no one can use it without permission. What is the difference between these symbols? TM refers to a mark for goods that do not necessarily need to be registered (e.g. YouTube™), while SM refers to services (e.g. WesterUnion℠). The more familiar symbol ® is used with trademarks that have been registered (e.g. Coca-Cola®).

What is an industrial design?
When running your startup, you may also come across a term like industrial design. You should not confuse it with a trademark. An industrial design can be a decorative or aesthetic aspect of a product. It can consist of three-dimensional or two-dimensional features (patterns, lines, colors).

Industrial designs can be applied to a variety of products and you can see them every day (e.g. the contoured Coca-Cola bottle). They can be used for graphic symbols, logos, user interfaces, etc.

Industrial designs and startups
Why is industrial design important for a startup? Consumers judge products by their appearance. Industrial designs make products visually appealing and attract customers’ attention. A startup should also take advantage of this when offering a new product. Its success may depend in part on a professional and original industrial design.

Requesting an industrial design. How does it work?
There are different rules when it comes to protecting industrial designs, and they vary from country to country. In some countries, an industrial design must be registered, while in others it is covered by patent law (design patent). Industrial designs are also sometimes protected as works of art under copyright law. Remember to always check your local regulations in this regard. Patents, trademarks and industrial designs are an important part of a startup’s assets. They allow you to protect innovative inventions, brands and products.