Monday, October 6, 2014

Design Patent Term Extended to 15 Years

Design patents are a critical form of intellectual property for businesses to protect their product designs.  The prior term for design patents were fourteen (14) years from the issuance date.  Now, pursuant to the changes made in the Patent Law Treaties Implementation Act of 2012 (PLTIA), design patents filed on or after Dec.18, 2013 have a term of fifteen (15) years from the issuance date.