Leveraging Design Patents to Protect Graphical User Interfaces

Ms. Durkin is the practice leader of the firm’s Mechanical & Design Practice Group. With more than 35 years of experience obtaining and enforcing IP rights, she is sought out by leading consumer product companies and by colleagues around the world for her deep understanding of utility and design patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Ms. Durkin is the Vice Chair of the USPTO’s Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC), which advises the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property on the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of patent operations at the Office. She is also the chair of the Designs Committee for the INTA. Ms. Durkin is past chair of the Industrial Designs Committee of the IP Section of the ABA and of the Industrial Designs Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. In addition, she is past vice chair of the Industrial Designs Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association. Ms. Durkin has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at George Mason University Law School in Virginia and has spoken internationally on topics such as the interplay between design patents and trade dress, protection of graphical user interface designs and the user experience, The Hague Agreement, trademark co-branding and licensing, IP audits and mediation. Additionally, she co-hosts the biennial Design Law Conference, which aims to foster debate on cutting-edge design-related topics.

Both nationally and internationally, Mr. Katz is considered one of the premier practitioners in the field of industrial designs, leading the way in the procurement and enforcement of design patents. On behalf of the firm’s clients, he has helped procure more than 10,000 design patents in the U.S. and more than 30,000 design patents/registrations outside the U.S. and has helped to successfully enforce over 100 design patents. Leaders from foreign design patent offices have consulted with him regarding industrial design policies, and he has served as an expert in design patent litigations. Mr. Katz holds leadership positions in several professional organizations, including ABA, AIPLA, FICPI and INTA. He is the past Chair of INTA’s Designs Committee and Vice President of FICPI’s U.S. Section. For the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law, he currently serves as Liaison to FICPI. He also serves as a member of the Industrial Designs working group of the AIPLA Special Committee on Legislation. Mr. Katz is a former Chair of the Industrial Design Section for both FICPI and AIPLA, and also a member of IDSA and IPO.