Opinion ID: 210374
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Overview of Design Patent Law

Text: A design patent protects the nonfunctional aspects of an ornamental design as shown in the patent. Elmer v. ICC Fabricating, Inc., 67 F.3d 1571, 1577 (Fed.Cir.1995) (citing KeyStone Retaining Wall Sys., Inc. v. Westrock, Inc., 997 F.2d 1444, 1450 (Fed.Cir.1993)). The chief limitation on the patentability of designs is that they must be primarily ornamental in character. If the design is dictated by performance of the article, then it is judged to be functional and ineligible for design patent protection. Best Lock Corp. v. Ilco Unican Corp., 94 F.3d 1563, 1566 (Fed.Cir.1996). The elements of design patent infringement are set forth at 35 U.S.C. § 289: Whoever during the term of a patent for a design, without license of the owner, (1) applies the patented design, or any colorable imitation thereof, to any article of manufacture for the purpose of sale, or (2) sells or exposes for sale any article of manufacture to which such design or colorable imitation has been applied shall be liable to the owner to the extent of his total profit, but not less than $250, recoverable in any United States district court having jurisdiction over the parties. 35 U.S.C. § 289 (emphases added). Accordingly, a design patent is infringed by the unauthorized manufacture, use, or sale of the article embodying the patented design or any colorable imitation thereof. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. v. Hercules Tire & Rubber Co., 162 F.3d 1113, 1116-17 (Fed.Cir.1998). Similar to the infringement analysis of a utility patent, infringement of a design patent is evaluated in a two-step process. First, the court must construe the claims of the design patent to determine their meaning and scope. OddzOn Prods., Inc. v. Just Toys, Inc., 122 F.3d 1396, 1404-05 (Fed.Cir.1997). Design patents typically are claimed as shown in drawings. Claim construction by a court is adapted accordingly. Goodyear, 162 F.3d at 1116. The scope of the claim of a patented design encompasses `its visual appearance as a whole,' and in particular `the visual impression it creates.' Contessa Food Prods., Inc. v. Conagra, Inc., 282 F.3d 1370, 1376 (Fed.Cir.2002) (quoting Durling v. Spectrum Furniture Co., 101 F.3d 100, 104-05 (Fed.Cir.1996)). Second, after construction of the patent's claims, the court is to compare the construed claims to the accused design. Elmer, 67 F.3d at 1577. Infringement of a design patent occurs if the designs have the same general visual appearance, such that it is likely that the purchaser [(or the ordinary observer)] would be deceived into confusing the design of the accused article with the patented design. Goodyear, 162 F.3d at 1118. The patented and accused designs do not have to be identical in order for design patent infringement to be found. Contessa, 282 F.3d at 1376. In determining infringement of a design patent, the court is not limited to the ornamental features of a subset of the drawings, but instead must encompass the claimed ornamental features of all figures of a design patent. Id. at 1379 (emphasis added). The comparison of the patented and accused designs involves two separate tests, both of which must be satisfied to find infringement: the ordinary observer test and the point of novelty test. Bernhardt, L.L.C. v. Collezione Europa USA, Inc., 386 F.3d 1371, 1383 (Fed.Cir. 2004). The ordinary observer test was first enunciated by the United States Supreme Court in Gorham Manufacturing Co. v. White, 81 U.S.(14 Wall.) 511, 20 L.Ed. 731 (1871), which held that: [I]f, in the eye of an ordinary observer, giving such attention as a purchaser usually gives, two designs are substantially the same, if the resemblance is such as to deceive such an observer, inducing him to purchase one supposing it to be the other, the first one patented is infringed by the other. Id. at 528. In a separate and distinct inquiry, the point of novelty test requires proof that the accused design appropriated the novelty which distinguishes the patented design from the prior art. Egyptian Goddess, Inc. v. Swisa, Inc., No.2006-152, 2007 WL 2439541, at  (Fed.Cir. Aug. 29, 2007) (citing Litton Sys., Inc. v. Whirlpool Corp., 728 F.2d 1423, 1444 (Fed.Cir.1984)). Both the ordinary observer test and point of novelty test are factual inquiries. Bernhardt, 386 F.3d at 1383.