Design patent examiner materials and resources

This page contains training materials and resources used to instruct patent examiners regarding the design patent application examination process. These can provide inventors, applicants, and practitioners with information on the practices and procedures relating to the prosecution of design patent applications before the USPTO.

Design examiner training materials

• Responding to legal arguments
  • Part I - Understanding Case Law and the Federal Court System [Computer Based Training] [FY 2018]
  • Part II - How to Evaluate and Analyze Legal Arguments Based on Case Law [FY 2018]
    • Part II Legal Analysis Writing Workshop Slides Design Examples
    • Part II Legal Analysis Writing Worksheet - Design Example - Blank Worksheet
    • Part II Legal Analysis Writing Worksheet - Design Example - Answer Key
• Federal Court Decisions: Maatita, Curver and Surgisil [FY 2023-Q1]
• Drawing Objections [FY 2023-Q3]
• Examination of Hague Applications [FY 2022-Q4]

Memoranda

• Updated Guidance and Examination Instructions for Making a Determination of Obviousness in Designs in Light of LKQ Corp. v. GM Global Technology Operations LLC [22 May 2024]

Other materials

• Industrial Design Policy
• Using Patent Public Search Advanced to Search Designs - YouTube

To find our guidance on design patent applications in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), reference Chapter 1500. For additional information on international design applications, see Chapter 2900.