Category Archives: design patents

Obit: Kenji Ekuan, Designer of Soy Sauce Bottle, Bullet Train

Posted on February 9, 2015 by mjwhitekingston

Japanese industrial designer Kenji Ekuan died a few days ago at the age of 85. Ekuan designed hundreds of products but is best known for creating the red-capped Kikkoman soy sauce dispenser in 1961, followed by the Yamaha VMAS motorcycle … Continue reading →

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Steve Jobs’s Patents

Posted on August 25, 2011 by mjwhitekingston

The NY Times has an interesting pictorial overview of 300+ patents credited to Steve Jobs.

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What’s Your Poison?

Posted on June 11, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

Actor Dan Ackroyd’s latest venture into the wine/spirits market has run afoul of Ontario bureaucrats. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has refused to sell Ackroyd’s Crystal Head brand vodka at its retail stores because it comes in a … Continue reading →

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Design Patent #600,000

Posted on September 16, 2009 by mjwhitekingston

Design patent no. 600,000 was issued this week to Goal Zero of Spanish Fork, Utah. The patent protects the design of a battery system.

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Happy Independence Day!

Posted on July 4, 2008 by mjwhitekingston

A few patriotic patents for your enjoyment on the 4th of July. The first is a jack-in-the-box featuring a rather creepy-looking Uncle Sam (US978489); next are matching picture frames with Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam–a perfect gift for queen and … Continue reading →

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Helvetica

Posted on June 7, 2008 by mjwhitekingston

Last night I watched a very interesting documentary by Gary Hustwit called Helvetica. It was a fascinating conversation with graphic designers about the font Helvetica, typography and graphic design. Helvetica was created in 1957 by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann … Continue reading →

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May the IP Force Be With You

Posted on April 9, 2008 by mjwhitekingston

According to press reports, George Lucas and his company Lucasfilm are suing Andrew Ainsworth, a London-based prop designer, for copyright infringement for selling replica Star Wars stormtrooper armor. Ainsworth, who produced costumes for the first Star Wars movie in 1976, … Continue reading →

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Tupperware Patents

Posted on March 13, 2008 by mjwhitekingston

The U.S. economy may be sputtering, consumer confidence is tanking, and food and energy prices are at all-time highs. But there’s one company that sees a silver lining in all this gloomy news. Tupperware, the 62-year old company famous for … Continue reading →

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Clothing Design Patents

Posted on September 8, 2007 by mjwhitekingston

<– The "Frau Blucher" <– The "Rosie the Riveter" <– The "Marian the Librarian" Here are a few clothing design patents from the mid 1940s. Not exactly stylish by today’s standards, but hey, there was a war on. As I … Continue reading →

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Fashion Designers Look to Copyright, Not Design Patents

Posted on September 4, 2007 by mjwhitekingston

An article in today’s New York Times discusses the growing threat that high-end fashion designers face from low-cost imitations of their most popular clothing designs. Their industry trade group is lobbying Congress to extend copyright design to clothing. Copyright already … Continue reading →

Posted in clothing, design patents | 4 Comments