After the
search to find the most ridiculous patent ever, with the Motorized Ice Cream
Cone and the Cry No More from my previous blog posts, I found a series of
patents from that could be deemed as strange, but on closer inspection, do have
value.
Once again,
these patents come from probably the most referenced company from this course –
Apple.
Apple is not
only well known for its sleek and innovative design of hardware but also its
impressive retail outlets that have a strong and individual aesthetic. One of
the parts of this individualistic aesthetic is their glass staircases.
Their
Glass Staircase was patented in August 26, 2003 as a design patent with the
official registration number D478,999 S:
On a smaller
scale, Apple has also patented its purely presentational iPad stand that also
appears in stores. It is another design patent, granted from July 3, 2012,
with the number D662,939 S:
Although ostensibly irrelevant, these patents provide
protection from rival companies where brand image is an essential part to
business. These patents demonstrate how far a tech company will go to improve
and maintain its brand image and how far companies will go to protect it.
I think it is ridiculous that small irrelevant things are patented. The stand that the iPad sits on in the stores is not revolutionary or important in any way. I guess it must be just preventative action.
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