Posted on 05/05/2015 10:19:15 PM PDT by Swordmaker
The patent -- which ensures the design for the Apple Watch cannot be copied by a competitor -- was filed in August of last year, just weeks ahead of its unveiling.
The Apple Watch's design is now officially protected by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
The USPTO on Tuesday issued a design patent on the Apple Watch look and feel. The design patent filing provides precious little information, but includes several sketches showing the device from all angles, including from the top, side and underneath the face where the sensor and charging apparatus sit.
Getting a design patent is an important step in protecting an invention. Apple's newly delivered patent means other companies cannot copy the design of its wearable. It doesn't, however, prevent other companies from delivering products that are similar, but not identical in design.
Interestingly, the design patent was filed with the USPTO in August 2014, just weeks before Apple unveiled its smartwatch at an event in September. Likely in an effort to hide its plans, Apple named its patent simply "Electronic device."
The Apple Watch, which requires an iPhone 5 or later to run basic apps and receive notifications, is Apple's first foray into the wearables space, and a pricey one at that. It tops out at $17,000 for the 18-karat gold edition, with more modestly priced options like the Apple Watch Sport, which starts at $349.
The smartwatch market had been ticking quietly for several years, with occasional flutters on rumors of an impending watch from Apple. The Apple Watch went on sale last month, and analysts have contended that it is the spark that the market has been waiting for.
Competitors include a range of new or updated smartwatches from companies including Sony, Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, LG and Pebble. The Apple Watch's health-tracking capabilities also mean that consumers will be weighing it against fitness bands from the likes of Fitbit and Microsoft.
Unlike with iPhone launches, Apple has not yet disclosed initial sales figures. The smartwatch has been back-ordered since presales started April 10, and many would-be buyers won't receive their Apple Watches until June or even July. It's unclear how much of the delay is due to the strength of the demand and how much is because of supply shortages and manufacturing issues.
Apple Watch's design has been generally viewed positively, with CNET's Reviews team saying it's "the most ambitious, well-constructed smartwatch ever seen." Like most smartwatches, the Apple Watch comes with a rectangular touchscreen and is offered in three flavors -- a low-cost Sport model, the standard model, and a gold-plated Edition version. Since the basic design and form factor are identical across the product line, the design patent covers all versions.
According to the design patent documentation, Apple's intellectual property is good for 14 years.
Apple declined to comment on the patent.
bump
Yes. It's a port for data connections intended for quickly programming the watch, testing for diagnosis of problems, but not designed for charging or power take off. The watch bands slide in from the side, so utilizing it as a connector with a band might be engineered around but it is not intended in Apple's design for that. I'm pretty sure Apple will not certify any peripheral for connection through that port.
It won't be listed in this design patent. It is in the utility patent.
Like it or not, and I have never liked it.
Our patent system has been completely corrupted. I can understand that Apple does not want knock-offs that are nearly indistinguishable from their watch, but the patent system was never intended to regulate fashion. As you said the watch looks very similar to many other watches that have been produced for decades.
I can imagine patenting the technology thats in there, but the look and feel? especially when it doesn’t look any different in most respects is crazy
Not the same design at all. . . do you see a digital crown? A flush set button, rounded aluminum, steel, or gold case? No. Your example LED watch is plastic with four button controls, square, not rectangular, and has non-removable straps. Try understanding design patents, Fred.
Believe it or not, you actually can, so long as it is part of the design of a typeface you've completely created from scratch. You are allowed to copyright the alphanumeric letters and numbers, symbols, etc, and control the use, licensing, of all versions of those letters in that typeface. . . and sue people who use it without permission!
Check what Adobe charges for the use of their typeface libraries, the complete set is something like $650, and more, if you actually print a large print run of a book.
I do: They’re bogus.
That is pretty wild.
Look and feel is for homos.
They'd first have to license the watch band connection system from Apple. An Australian watch expert was commenting that he was absolutely floored that in the over 100 years of wristwatch history no one had come up with such an elegant interchangeable strap/watch and connection system as Apple's design for the watch industry to standardize on instead of the breakable spring pin system, which accounted for more lost watches than any other cause!
The Framers of the Constitution are spinning in their graves like dervishes over the kinds of things that can now be copyrighted, trademarked, and patented. It's a disgrace, and Apple is one of the worst offenders on the planet.
Yep.
If by “wild,” you mean a total perversion of the intent of the idea of intellectual property, then yes.
There's the reason for not having a wrist phone. Cellular phone use is a power eater! Samsung's Gear S does it now. . . and for the last six months and is not selling well. It still needs a Samsung Galaxy phone to pair to, but will connect without the phone. . . but it requires charging three to four times a day!
Reminiscent of the stupid hype we heard regarding Apple's "innovative" magnetic connector which could be found on millions of rice cookers made in Asia.
With a design patent, the FTC can interdict these frauds at customs.
There’s some amazing battery technology at the nanoscale level that not only increases storage but rapid charging. They are probably banking on that being available not too long from now.
Apple owns the patents on the magnetic power connector both here and in Europe, and in all Asian countries, Ethan, contrary to your claims. Where are the magnetic power connectors on any other make notebook computers preventing them from being pulled on the floor by the cable being tripped over?
APPLE could patent the band charging system. Not sure why you thought I meant someone else.
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