When it is needed
When a dispute concerns product appearance, a registered industrial design or differences between design variants.
What we examine
- Industrial design images
- The product examined and its variants
- Development and publication materials
Materials to prepare
- Patent and set of images
- A specimen or comparable photographs of the product
- Dimensions and information about intended use
- Questions and documents about the versions to be checked
Sample questions
- Which appearance features are available for comparison?
- Which similarities and differences were identified between the submitted images and the product?
- How are the design elements compared positioned and related?
- Which differences arise from viewpoint, scale or image quality?
- Which material limitations affect the final comparison?
How the work is carried out
- We identify the versions and images compared
- We identify appearance elements and analyse them together
- We describe similarities, differences and comparison limits
Result
An illustrated report on appearance features and the comparative questions posed.
What affects the conclusions
A product's technical function and appearance are different subjects of analysis; a visual list of correspondences does not replace a legal conclusion on infringement of an exclusive right.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to send the product?
This is preferable if three-dimensional shape, texture or elements poorly visible in images are significant.
Can several modifications be compared?
Yes. Each version must be identified separately so features of different products are not combined into one object.