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USPTO’s design patent changes move closer to European standard

By Nick Robertson ( March 16, 2026, 20:39 GMT | Comment) -- Last week’s changes to design patent eligibility in the US, such as the eligibility of projected and virtual designs, follow in the footsteps of broader reforms in the EU, but critics of the US changes say they stray far from design patents’ intent to protect tangible aspects of products.The US Patent and Trademark Office released supplemental guidance on Thursday expanding eligibility for design patents to include projected and virtual designs for the first time, such as designs for computer graphic user interfaces and icons....

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