17th Annual Design Day

Director Tracy-Gene G. Durkin moderated the “Fireside Chat with PTAB Administrative Judges” at the 17th Annual Design Day, which was hosted by the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

Event Overview

The event featured updates from USPTO leadership and the Director of Technology Center 2900; and targeted presentations on the new Design Practitioner Bar, the Supplemental GUI examination guidelines released in late 2023, and important design-related cases from district courts, the PTAB, and the Federal Circuit. The event also included helpful presentations on changes and anticipated changes in global design law, as well as tips and tricks for using the updated WIPO Design Database, the new Hague Application direct filing interface, and the USPTO Search Tool. Finally, attendees heard an inspirational keynote from entrepreneur Joshua Thurmond, designer and inventor of the LavaBox, a portable campfire.