Design Patents – Year in Review

Companies continue to see the value of design patents.  Nike, Inc. is ranked 5th in the United States in the number of design patents granted to it in 2016, with a total of 275 issued design patents.  Number one on the list is Samsung, with 1,629 issued design patents, above Apple Inc. with 433 issued design…

Damages for Infringement of Design Patents – Supreme Court Clarifies Rules in Apple v. Samsung

Apple Inc. is known for the number of patents it owns. Apple doesn’t just own patents, it actively engages in enforcing its patents.  This includes a case against Samsung that has been winding its way through the courts for years, where Apple claims that Samsung infringed some of Apple’s iPhone patents.  This case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, and…

Apple, Inc. and What a Company can do with $231.5 Billion Cash-on-Hand

People often ask about the extent of patent and trademark applications needed to protect the intellectual property of a business.  As shown by Apple, the answer is: as much as possible. Apple, Inc. has $231.5 billion in cash-on-hand. When a company has this kind of cash it can afford to pursue patent applications that others might not pursue due…