UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE ISSUES NOTICE: SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE FOR EXAMINATION OF DESIGN PATENT APPLICATIONS RELATED TO COMPUTER-GENERATED INTERFACES AND ICONS

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice called: Supplemental Guidance for Examination of Design Patent Applications Related to Computer-Generated Interfaces and Icons.

The notice was published in the Federal Register on March 13 by John A. Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Summary: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently received feedback that previously-issued guidance may unnecessarily limit flexibility for design applicants in the field of computer-generated interfaces and icons. Upon review, the USPTO has decided to update its guidance for determining whether a design clai...