U.S. Patent No. D814,244 S1 (‘244) issued on April 3, 2018, for “Champagne Bucket.” It was issued to inventor Matthew Hartley of Eversham, Great Britain. The applicant/assignee is Robert Welch Designs Ltd. of Chipping, Campden, Great Britain, a household retailing company. This patent is a design patent under 35 U.S.C. §171, which protects the ornamental features of an article of manufacture. The features cover the bucket design, with a ridged casement, and contoured opening. Although materials are not protected nor claimed (these would be protected as a utility patent), it is presumably crystal or glassware.
Figure 1 below illustrates the ornamental features of the bucket.
Under 35 U.S.C. §173, the ‘244 patent, like all design patents, has a patent term of 15 years, and expires on April 3, 2033 (MPEP 1505).
The Cooperative Patent Classifications are A47G (household or table equipment); F25D (refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes); and A45C (purses, luggage, hand carried bags).
Many home retailers have several design patents for their products, and several have extensive design patent portfolios. Design patents are about 10% of all patents issued by the USPTO, and that number is growing steadily every year. Please contact Yonaxis for more information on design patents, or patents in general, if you have any questions.
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