As a small business owner, you understand the need to protect your intellectual property (IP) in order to retain a competitive advantage. A patent is one way to protect your IP. However, you may be wondering what types of patents are available to your business. Today, we will compare two: design patents vs. utility patents.
When You Need a Design Patent
Design patents protect the appearance of something. It ensures that another company can’t copy that appearance, allowing you to have your own notable style. This means that your design has to look unique from the competition. You won’t be able to patent a design on something that is too similar to something else that is already in existence.
When You Need a Utility Patent
Sometimes you need to protect the way something works. For example, you may need to patent the function of proprietary software, or you may want to patent a new machine for manufacturing or even a business process that you developed that is unique.
There are even situations when you want to patent the design and utility of something. There is nothing wrong with getting both types of patents for the same invention if it qualifies for both.
Getting The Help You Need to Protect Your IP
Pokala Law APC is the firm that small business owners trust in San Diego. We run a small business, just like you. So we understand your needs, including when it comes to budget. Give us a call today at 1.844.695.1487, or you can request an appointment from our website.
