Daniel Ashcraft, along with Avi Schwartz (IP Counsel at Vizio) and Charles Koole (partner in Glaser Weil’s Intellectual Property Litigation Department) was part of an industry discussion on design patent law at the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association Annual Event. VIZIO, a leading U.S. HDTV and consumer electronics company, joined in an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of petitioner Samsung and in support of reversing the lower court decision on design patent damages. Ashcraft Design, an award winning product design company joined in an amicus brief filed with the Federal Circuit in support of Apple Inc. and affirmance of the lower court decision. The panel discussed the recent petition by Samsung to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the issue of design patent damages and the effects a Supreme Court decision might have on certain industries as well as on the enforcement of design patents and the filing of design patents themselves.
Daniel Ashcraft talked about how the value of design is greater than its decoration and how design languages present the value of design to the consumer. Product design is expanding to include the entire user experience. Customer lifestyles, values and buying behavior shape the product experience. Good design addresses all consumer touch points. Innovation is the result of a thorough design process and that intellectual property is linked with the company’s success and future, both as a shield against competitors and a potent weapon for growth.