Question
Our company has developed an innovative ed-tech website interface and we were wondering if we can file for a patent regarding the design. I believe that a patent would provide great protection against competitors, but I have also read that the procedure can be quite time-consuming. Are there alternative ways to protect our GUI design from copying?
Answers: 3 public & 0 private
If you decide patenting is the right way for you, design patents can explicitly cover a GUI. It takes some time until a design patent is actually granted but not nearly as long as the more common utility patent. If your invention is in the functionality of the GUI that's best protected by a utility patent. I agree with Ashutosh's rec for the provisional patent route to get something filed quickly - the filing date is often very important. Copyright will protect your software coding, but IMO gives less robust protection.
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