Intellectual Property Case Study
Part 1: Introduction
The purpose of this report is to highlight the procedural requirements that an investor must accomplish before an invention or any product design is released into the market. In the course of an invention, it is a legal obligation that the rightful owner must define the product and distinct it from other related products available. Therefore, the proprietor defines the property rights, the trademark, product design and the product accordingly acquires due recognition within the trade domains.
Registered Design:
According to the United Kingdom’s Design Act, a design describes the overall description of a new product. The description pronounces the visual appearance, configuration and construction (Schwabach, 2007). For legality and registration for sale or hire, the product must be new and distinctive from other existing products (Merges, 2011).
Trade mark:
A trademark is a distinguishable indication, design, or look that links a product or service to be of a particular origin or source differentiating it from the existing ones. The owner of the trademark can either be an individual or an organization (Schwabach, 2007).
Patent:
A patent is a set of exclusive rights accorded by a sovereign state to a product inventor for a limited period giving a detailed public disclosure to the invention. Exclusive rights granted prevent other individuals from commercially replicating the new product (Stim, 2014).
Part 2: Patents
Find FOUR relevant patents relating to mobile phones. In each case, provide the date of filing and the name of the filing company or individual, and summarise each patent in no more than 100 words of plain English.
Nokia Qi wireless charger:
The patent is allotted to Nokia on 4 September 2014. The Qi wireless charging plate (DT-903) enhances the capability of charging phone from a distance, up to two inches away, thus allowing the provision of charging multiple devices. The claim is that the new device either will be an in-built feature or integrated into third party cases. The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) created the standard. The charged device and the charging pad do not come into contact. The standard is backwards compatible to all smartphones and tablets. The new standard has the capacity to power larger appliances with an input of up to 2000 watts (United States, 2014).
Nokia foldable battery patent:
This patent is assigned to Nokia as a continuation of flexible batteries on 8 November 2013. The new standard is a foldable battery that utilizes a foldable cell with an ability to curve and fold with the mobile deice. The technology gives way to smaller-sized devices. The technology is appropriate for devices that twist and bend in all orientations. The battery apparatus has a single battery ribbon that has two terminals, cathode and anode, which have an inter-connection linking the two terminals and a vacuum packaging. It is through this flexible ribbon that the cell shifts along depending on the direction of fold or twist. The new model can be utilized by mobile devices, gaming apparatus, tablets or in the personal digital assistants (United States, 2014).
Samsung Super AMOLED:
The patent is assigned to Samsung on 18 September, 2012. The Super AMOLED has replaced the conventional RGB two pixels arrangement with a three sub-pixels arrangement. With an increased number of pixels, the standard has finer images and 25 percent more power efficient. The new model of the active-matrix organic light-emitting diode consists of pixels generating light with electrical activation, which has been set and integrated on an ultra-thin film transistor array. The new model has a new series of switches that controls the current flowing to each pixel continuously without the former intermittent. The thin film of transistor consists of polycrystalline silicon, with increased potential to fabricate the active matrix at low temperatures. The new technology has enhanced the display and screen resolution rated 960 x 540 (United States, 2014).
Samsung force-sensitive touchscreen patent:
This patent is assigned to Samsung on 6 March 2014. The technology enhances the former touch-sensitive apparatus by inclusion of an in-built sensor that determines the pressure exerted on the screen. Initially, the force-sensitive sensors were made separate from the device and thus escalating the production costs. The apparatus consists of a miniature-sensing processor fixed on the display. The processor comprises of two elements, an electrode resistor, and a reference resistor. The two elements are integrated on piezoresistive materials. Thin layers of graphene have been utilized, for their suitability in enhancing the functional attributes of two materials of differing resistance attributes. Upon any pressure on the display, the thin layers provide the processor with feedback relating the duration of the touch input. The processor then determines whether the touch is either soft or hard (United States, 2014).
Part 3: Trademarks
Find FOUR trademarks relating to mobile phones. They may be names or images. In each case, include the name or image of the trademark and provide the date of registration and the name of the registering company or individual.
Sample Trademarks:
Part 4: Registered Designs
Find FOUR registered designs of mobile phone. In each case, include a picture of the design and provide the date of registration and the name of the registering company or individual.
Sampled registered designs:
Part 5: Phone design and IP analysis
Draw a sketch of your ‘phone design and summarise its features in one page. Explain which aspects of your ‘phone could be registerable as new IP, and which aspects would require licensing of existing IP.
Features:
The sketch above shows the proposed mobile phone design. The mobile phone will have a number of features, which include an 8 GB memory capacity with provision of expandability through the microSD for the user’s music, files, and pictures. The phone will have a high screen resolution, 854 x 480 pixel resolution and a 4.5 inch screen. The design proposed above will have an LTE/4G radio that will enable users access 4G networks. The phone will run on a Windows 8.1 operating system. It will have an in-built navigation satellite, high processor performance of 1.2 GHZ and with a long-lasting battery life of up to six hours. The phone will also allow the user to enlarge documents by double tapping the screen. Furthermore, double tapping the screen will also be used for unlocking the phone when it is on idle mode. The front facing camera will have supporting biometric firmware that will allow users to use facial recognition while unlocking it.
The aspects of the phone that could be registered as new IP is the front facing camera that will have supporting biometric firmware in order to allow users to use facial recognition while unlocking it.
Aspects that would require the licensing of existing IP include the LTE/4G radio, as well as the ability to enlarge documents by double tapping the screen.
References:
Merges, R. P. (2011). Justifying intellectual property. Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=390163.
Schwabach, A. (2007). Intellectual property a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif, ABC-CLIO, Inc. http://ebooks.abc-clio.com/?isbn=9781598840469.
Stim, R. (2014). Patent, copyright & trademark: an intellectual property desk reference. Berkeley, Calif: Nolo.
United States. (2014). Official gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office.
