Overview
With an estimate of 3.5 billion smartphone users worldwide, User Interface (UI) may be one of the most valuable components in the digital world as it is linked with every single way a user interacts with electric and electronic devices, vehicles, home appliances and more. Software developers nowadays are aware of the value of UI and invest greatly in designing user-friendly and visually-appealing UIs. As such, UI is also becoming a major target of piracy and many of those deeply invested in the development of UI are looking to secure their IP rights to prevent themselves from falling under such risks.
As with software and other new technologies, obtaining intellectual property rights for UIs requires a thorough understanding of the technology behind it and background knowledge in how UI works in connection to UX, especially when it comes to drafting the right claims. Although UI innovations are usually treated as software inventions, the descriptions and types of claims are very different from claims typically used for protecting software algorithms. UI encompasses more than non-graphic codes as in traditional software algorithms, but its primary focus is more so on the interaction between elements on the screen, graphical icons and visual elements. Therefore, protecting both the code and graphical elements requires an integrated knowledge and insight in exclusive rights, scopes and limitations surrounding the UI technology. Such comprehensive understanding and multidimensional perspective allow experts at PI IP LAW to gain the upper hand in fighting for the rights of our clients’ UI inventions.
Our Expertise
With the rapid spread of digital technologies, PI IP LAW foresaw that UI would become a major strategic value to many companies, and has been building up its expertise in this field to keep pace with the steep rise in patent and design applications for UI inventions worldwide.
However, those looking to obtain intellectual property rights for their UI inventions are often faced with adversities as the law and requirements regarding UI are continually shifting and there is no unified international standard to set their claims to. PI IP LAW experts understand that UI presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to its IP protection as it lies between visual design and technology, and seeks the most optimal form of legal protection. Our attorneys not only know which aspects are most eligible to be patented, but they are also prepared to present how the patent should be structured and designed to successfully file across different countries, each fully meeting the individual eligibility requirements. Even with demanding and intricate tasks that pose multiple challenges, we present expertise in wide-ranging cases where we provide tailored strategies for individual clients to ensure the proper protection of their inventions internationally.
The patent attorneys at PI IP LAW have shown remarkable results in UI protection and litigation, and they outstand in delivering first-rate analysis reports on the competition’s UI inventions to guide the R&D direction and to evade risking infringing on another UI. Our attorney’s analysis reports and investigations on domestic and international trends on UI have also been featured in external publications.
Insights
Donggeun Lee as New Senior Associate Patent Attorney
PI IP LAW is pleased to announce the addition of Donggeun Lee as a new Senior Associate Patent Attorney. He has expertise in next-generation leading technologies such as blockchain, deep learning, and big data, as well as mechanical and electronic hardware and software.
PI IP LAW hires 2 New Patent Attorneys
PI IP LAW is delighted to announce the addition of 2 new associates to our team. Patent Attorney Hyunhwa Lee, who passed the Korean Patent Bar with a specialty in copyright law, and Patent Attorney Byungjoon Hyun, with a specialty in data structures.
