The protection of icons and interfaces by industrial design

2013-03-04

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THEPROTECTIONOFICONSANDINTERFACESBYINDUSTRIALDESIGN
DOMINIQUENOLET*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

RecentlegalbattlesinvolvingApple,Google,Microsoft,Samsungandothermajor
playersintheindustryhaveledtotrue”patentwars”.However,thelatestdispute
betweenAppleandSamsungintheUnitedStateshasredirectedthespotlightusually
aimedatpatentstowardsitslesser-knowncousin:industrialdesigns.Sincetheobject
oftheconflictwasnowrelatedtotheappearanceofsmartphones(namely,their
roundedcorners)ratherthantheirfunctionality,industrialdesignprotectionwasthus
puttotheforeground.
Whileapatentisintendedtoprotectthefunctionalcharacteristicofanobject,an
industrialdesignaimstoprotectanobject’svisualorornamentalaspect.When
commercializingasoftwareapplication,thevisualaspectoftheapplicationisalmost
asimportantasitsfunctionality.Indeed,thevisualaspectofthesoftware(the”look
andfeel”)willnotonlyseducetheuser,butalsocontributetothedevelopmentofa
certainuserloyaltytowardssubsequentversionsofthesoftware.

Theclassicexampleofanindustrialdesigninthefieldofinformationtechnologyisno
doubtthevisualaspectofGoogle’shomepage(U.S.IndustrialDesignNo.D599,
372),whichisrecognizablebyitsbareappearancewithasimplesearchbarandthe
twofamousbuttons”Search”and”I’mFeelingLucky”.

Xeroxwasinfactthefirstcompanytoobtainregistrationofanindustrialdesignfor
avisualaspectofasoftware.InMay1988,Xeroxobtainedindustrialdesignsfor
severalicons,mostnotablyonerepresentinga“wastebasket”(U.S.IndustrialDesign
No.D295,632).Everymajorcompanyinthisfield,includingAppleandMicrosoft,
nowpossessesanindustrialdesignforitsown“wastebasket”.Thesecompanies
havemorethanahundredregisteredindustrialdesignsonbuttons,icons,menus
anduserinterfaces.
Itispossibletoobtainprotectionforaniconorinterfaceprovidedthatcertaincriteria
aremet.Firstly,theiconmustbenewandsufficientlydistinctfromanyothericon.It
mustalsobeornamentaloraesthetic,andnotonlypossessafunctionalaspect.
Finally,itshouldalsobeincludedinan“articleofmanufacture”.Thiscriterioncanbe
easilymet:forexample,bydisplayingtheicononacomputerscreeninthe
applicationforregistrationofthedesign.

©CIPS,2013.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheWinter2013(Vol.16,no.4)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.159E.

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Theregistrationofindustrialdesignsforiconsandsoftwareuserinterfacescanserve
asagoodadditiontopatentand/ortrademarkprotection.Protectionbyindustrial
designpreventsathirdpartyfrommaking,sellingorofferingtheitem,forupto10
yearsinCanadaetfor14yearsintheUnitedStates.Thisisdifferentinthecaseof
trademarkprotection,forwhichonehastodemonstratethatthethirdparty’s
trademarkpresentsariskofconfusionwiththeprotectedmarkandthatthistrade
markhasaninherentdistinctiveness.Nosuchevidencehastobeprovidedfor
industrialdesignprotection.Theprotectionitofferscan,amongotherthings,prevent
acompetitorfromcopyingorimitatingtheconfigurationorpatternofabutton,iconor
flagshipinterfaceaspartofawebpageorsoftware.Moreover,notonlyarethecosts
offilingandregistrationofanindustrialdesignveryaffordable,butthepreparationof
theapplicationisfairlysimple.Moreover,averageapplicationpendencytimesfor
industrialdesignsarerelativelyshortercomparedtothoseforpatentapplications.

However,despitethebenefitsofregistrationofindustrialdesignsandthesimplicityof
proceduresrelatedthereto,mostcompaniesinvolvedinsoftwaredevelopmentare
notcompelledbythisprotection.Thisisunfortunate,consideringthattheadditionof
industrialdesigntoone’sportfolioofintellectualpropertyassetscanenablea
companytobetterprotectitsintangibleassets,whenpatentortrademarkprotection
isdifficulttoobtain.
Companiesinthefieldofinformationtechnologyandtelecommunicationsshould
thereforehaveavestedinterestingivingopportunitiestothisinexpensive,quickand
easytoobtainprotectionofferedbyindustrialdesigns

ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommercevouédepuis1892à
laprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessins
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commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,
litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentand
trademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectual
property:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksandindications
oforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,
softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,
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distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER

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