US Design Patent Search
In the United States, design patents are issued by the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office). A US design patent protects the way an article appears — its shape, surface ornamentation, or configuration — for up to 15 years from the date it is granted.
What does a US design patent cover?
To qualify, the design must be novel, non-obvious, and ornamental rather than purely functional. US design patents use the international Locarno classification, so products are organised into classes and subclasses that help with searching.
How to search USPTO design patents
- Identify the product category — determine the Locarno class for your product (for example, furnishings, electronics, packaging).
- Run a keyword search — search the official USPTO database for terms describing the product's look and use.
- Run an image search — because text descriptions vary, upload an image of your product to find designs that look similar. This is the most reliable way to catch a visually overlapping design.
Why image search matters for US design patents
US design patents are defined largely by their drawings and figures, not by a written summary. Two patents with very different titles can protect nearly identical looks. Searching by image, rather than only by text, is the practical way to compare your product against the actual protected appearance.
Common questions
How long does a US design patent last?
Design patents filed on or after May 13, 2015 last 15 years from grant. There are no maintenance fees during the term.
Do I need one search or many?
Design rights are territorial. If you sell in the EU or the UK as well as the US, you should search those registers too. PatPulse covers US, EU and UK design patents with both text and image search so you can clear a product across regions at once.