Expansion of design patent: from united patents to continuation patents

Abstract

In recent year, the fierce competition among large-scale enterprises like Apple and Samsung in the consumer electronic market has put design patents into the spotlight. In the design patent system, a continuation patent system has been included after abolishing the united patent system. This change is definitely critical in the reform of the patent system. The study subjects here are patent engineers and product designers (N = 40), and the goal was to construct a concrete continuation patent scope. The research findings are as follows. The continuation patent system provides designers a broader patent scope. In the future, enterprises can make a good use of the continuation patent system on patent layouts to protect design patents while suppressing copying or imitating works of continuation patents. When continuation patents are less similar among each other, the created patent scope can be maximized. The research conclusion provides important information for patent layout planning.