In the wake of Steve Jobs' announcement that he is stepping down as C.E.O. of Apple, today's New York Times has an interesting interactive piece illustrating over 300 patents in which Mr. Jobs is a named inventor.
Given Apple's ability to consistently deliver sleek consumer products with a unique look and feel over the years, it is not too surprising that a majority of these patents are design patents, rather than utility patents. Creative industrial design has been a hallmark of Apple, and Apple recognized that this key aspect of its innovation was worthy of protection.
The lesson from Steve Jobs: If you invest in distinguishing your product in the market place with unique industrial design, you should also protect that investment through design patent protection.
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