Insights

Washington, D.C. – May 30, 2024: Crowell & Moring hosted its 25thannual George Bailey Public Service Awards ceremony. Named after the hero of the classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” these awards recognize the firm’s lawyers and staff who have made a substantial impact on the lives of others through their pro bono work.

Design patents play a crucial role in protecting the aesthetic and functional aspects of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and connectors, which are essential components in the growing EV market, and the burgeoning infrastructure supporting the same. Participants in this crowded market would be wise to protect their innovations and investments by filing for design patents directed to distinctive design elements of the products and services they offer, as part of a robust intellectual property strategy. Doing so can help such participants enhance their market position, obtain and then maintain market differentiation, and attract investors.

On November 22, 2024, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) member states adopted the Riyadh Design Law Treaty (“Treaty”). This development is arguably the biggest advancement in international design law since 1999, when the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (“the Hague Agreement”) was adopted.

A recent Federal Circuit decision provides a reminder that even in the mechanical arts, where terms have generally understood and accepted meanings, it remains important to avoid use of claim terms that may lead to ambiguity, and to otherwise include a description of the subject matter intended to be encompassed by such terms.

&Motion sits with Crowell's Jacob Bachman to discuss design patents and their relevance to the transportation industry.