Blueberry patent wars

Copyright ® Françoise Herrmann

Blueberry patent wars are unusual in the world of infringing on Intellectual Property (IP) rights. Indeed, such activity is more readily associated with Silicon Valleys than the Yunnan Plateau, in China. However, the blueberry market has become both very lucrative and highly competitive. The International Blueberry Organization (IBO) reports an estimated 2333 million tons of blueberries produced worldwide in 2025, with 890 000 tons produced in China alone (IBO 2026).

In November 2024, under the auspices of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA), the China Blueberry Committee (CBC) was created, in collaboration with major international players on the blueberry market (IBO3). International players such as the International Blueberry Organization and berry giants such as Driscoll’s in the United States. The China Blueberry Committee's four stated goals included: Sustainable growth‌, Quality enhancement, Global integration, and the protection of blueberry breeders’ Intellectual Property (IP) rights (IBO4).

The creation of the new China Blueberry Committee (CBC) came just one month before the Australian Mountain Blue Orchards company won a historic and much publicized lawsuit in the Intermediate People’s Court of Kunming, in the Yunnan Province, China’s largest blueberry-producing region (IBO2). This was a landmark decision because it was the first ruling that protected the IP rights of foreign plant breeders in China. At stake was plant theft identified via DNA testing at a nursery, where the theft had enabled propagation of Mountain Blue Orchards’ top-of-the-line blueberry variety, Eureka Sunrise. The lawsuit resulted in heavy punishment for the illegal Chinese growers, who were ordered to destroy all nursery crops, and to pay a $23,000 fine for fees and damages (Emont, Sept. 2026).

Following this major IP win at a Chinese Court, and continued covert inspections in nurseries, Driscoll’s filed as many as 20 lawsuits for “copycat” blueberry varieties grown in China, as well as for its proprietary greenhouse designs (IBO1; Small, 2026). However, the preferred strategy appears to have shifted towards licensing of plant varieties to Chinese growers, at least to collect royalties, and to prevent foreign companies from appearing too belligerent

References

Emont, J. (Sept. 14, 2026). Driscoll’s Gave China Its Blueberries—Then China Swiped the Secret to Growing Them. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/business/driscolls-berry-farms-china-competition-b0b49f04?eafs_enabled=false  

International Blueberry Organization (IBO) https://www.internationalblueberry.org/  

 2026 IBO Global Blueberry Report.  International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2026/09/08/navigating-volatility-and-growth-key-insights-from-the-2026-ibo-global-blueberry-report/ 

Mountain Blue Orchards
https://www.mountainblue.com.au/ 

IBO(1) - Taking on the illegal players: why Mountain Blue’s China victory signals a sea change for the blueberry industry. International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2025/01/31/taking-on-the-illegal-players-why-mountain-blues-china-victory-signals-a-sea-change-for-the-blueberry-industry/ 

IBO(2) Mountain Blue Orchards wins historic lawsuit in China over illegal propagation of blueberries December 2024. International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2024/12/02/mountain-blue-orchards-wins-historic-lawsuit-in-china-over-illegal-propagation-of-blueberries/ 

IBO(3) China: Blueberry Committee created and intellectual property protection of varieties announced January 2025. International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2025/01/03/china-blueberry-committee-created-and-intellectual-property-protection-of-varieties-announced/ 

IBO(4) - About the China Blueberry Committee. International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/china-blueberry-committee/

Small, J. (Sept. 21, 2026)  Inside Driscoll’s Berry Strange Case of Corporate Espionage: How China Stole Its Secrets
https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/inside-driscolls-berry-strange-case-of-corporate-espionage-how-china-stole-its-secrets 

Oh, patents! Lego® SMART Play™

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann 

Lego® SMART Play™, winner of the Best in Show and Best Future Tech awards at CES 2026*, has added electronics to Lego® play sets. Most importantly, in response to desiderata, the new Lego® SMART Play™ sets come WITHOUT supplementary screens, batteries, wires, cameras or coding. A feat that took two and a half years to develop, involving a team of more than 300. Engineers, scientists, product designers, video-gaming experts, user-experience specialists, physicists, mathematicians, plus more, who worked together in a very large, top-secret, soundproof room, without windows, called “The Void”.

SMART Play™ Legos® comprise four components, available only in the all-in-one sets, but thereafter compatible with all SMART Play™ Lego® sets: 

1. a smart, 2x4 brick with a miniaturized ASIC chip, essentially comprising a speaker, LEDS, a speech synthesizer, and a proximity sensor**, 
2. two tags, which together with the smart brick form a new positioning system, and 
3. a wireless charger for bricks and tags, 
4. together with the themed and character Lego® SMART Play™ set (Pokémon™ and Star Wars™ for starters to launch the new SMART Play™ system). 

The beauty of the Lego® SMART Play™ system is that it is generative. One smart brick can generate an infinite number of sounds, depending on the tracker or movement of the smart brick. This differs from a database of pre-recorded word sounds. Indeed, the Lego® engineers even devised a new Figlish (Figurine English) language for the sounds that the brick can generate when it is inserted inside a figurine, and which children can interpret as they imagine. The brick comprises a miniaturized sound synthesizer that generates different sounds for every different situation or construction that is built, now and in the future.

More than 25 patents were awarded for the multiple Lego® SMART Play™ inventions. The following US, European (EP) and World Intellectual Property Organization  (WO) patents  are just a few of the Lego® SMART Play™ patents:

• EP3200886B1 – Game system.
• US20250010218A1 - Modular toy system with electronic toy modules.
• US20180071626A1 - Tag reader and system comprising a tag reader.
• US20240335761A1 - Toy construction system with function construction elements.
• US12021394B2 - Toy system having a contactless energy transfer system.
• WO2022101233A1 - Toy system for multiplayer social play.
• WO2026077559A1 - System of interactive toy and/or interactive educational construction elements.
• WO2025157950A1 - Interactive toy system with groups of associated wireless interactive toys.
• WO2020192955A1 - Rechargeable interactive toy.

For Lego® SMART Play™, one wonders who is having the most fun. The engineers who took up the challenge to create a magical modular smart brick, bringing LEGO® to life for generations to come,  or the children whose imaginations are being fired to new heights with an already fun game that has stood the test of time?

---------
Notes
* CES 2026 – Largest and most influential Computer Electronics Show in the United States. The show is held every year in January in Las Vegas, CA, since 1967.
** The Lego® smart brick is shown being inserted into the Pokémon™ Pikachu character.

Reference
How we made the Lego® SMART Play™ system. Lego.com
https://www.lego.com/en-us/smart-play/article/innovation 

Interlude - The Whale (2027).

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The Whale is a spectacular whale-watching center and immersive-experience museum. Scheduled to open on June 4th, 2027, The Whale is located in Andenes, at the edge of the North Atlantic, in Norway. 

The most striking feature of The Whale—as its name indicates—is the stunning biomimetics of the architecture. An architecture that not only blends into the Arctic landscape, as a gentle curve rising from the earth, but also remarkably captures a whale's low-fluking dive. The sort of shallow dive where you only see the top dorsal surface of the whale’s tale with its two wing-like flukes, sliding back into the water. The two images below, respectively, depict The Whale and a whale’s shallow fluking dive.

Dorte Mandrup, the Danish architect who won the competition to build the museum, composed in a naturally breathtaking environment, also known as one of the best places to see whales. Instead of an erected building, competing with the nearby lighthouse, The Whale looks as though it has been pushed out of the Earth’s surface. 

The Whale rooftop, shown below, curves gently into the landscape as a single piece of concrete, cladded with natural stones collected from the surrounding Arctic area. This enables anyone hiking on top to whale watch, perhaps catching a whale breaching against the Northern Lights, a whale spouting, or the graceful broad-finned tail of a whale as it is diving back into the ocean.

If The Whale delivers on Mandrup's promise “to create relevance” in June 2027—as it already has. Then, The Whale will make an already awe-inspiring destination even more magnificent, for both tourists on whale safaris and locals. 

References

Architect Dorte Mandrup’s vision for The Whale Andenes Norway (April 28, 2026) [7:26] YouTube.

https://youtu.be/WW_OHFID0ik?si=70rkshDhhuiSvkyf

Dorte Mandrup

https://dortemandrup.dk/

The Whale

https://thewhale.com/ 

Oh, Letters Patent!* D. T. Abercrombie space saving cabinets

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Abercrombie & Fitch not only catered to wilderness specialists, but they also outfitted famous outdoor enthusiasts such as Theodore Roosevelt for his 1909-1910 African Safari, Ernest Hemingway for his long stays in Cuba, and Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh for their flight gear and survival rations. Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower, famous anglers, are also known to have purchased fishing rods, waders and other gear, directly from the A&F Co., Madison Avenue flagship store in New York City: "Where the blazed trail crosses the boulevard", as shown in the advertisement depicted below. 

The US utility patent, US775766A, titled Camping outfit, illustrates a luxury camping cabinet invention for clothes storage, the lower part of which might alternatively be used as a table. The cabinet and shelves were foldable, easily stored and re-assembled for use.

The patent Figure 1 depicts a perspective view of the assembled cabinet, comprising slatted shelves 1 to 4, a canvas back 9 and canvas sides 8. Pocket shelf-holders were attached to each canvas side 8, into which the shelves 1 to 4 were separately inserted. The cabinet stood on four forked uprights 12, with two crossbars 10 from front to rear, resting on the upright forks. 

The lower part had a larger tabletop 13, resting on its own crossbars 14, lashed to the uprights 12. The lower table portion was detachable from the upper shelves for standalone use. Means might be included to suspend the upright shelves. 

Note

* US patents were initially called Letters Patent in the European tradition, dating as far back as the 15th century, and at the inception of the United States, at the end of the 18th century, according to the first US Patent Act (1790). The term Letters Patent was then used well into the 19th century, although usage began to shift, following the provisions of the third US Patent Act (1836), which established the United States Patent Office. 

    The term “Letters Patent” is derived from Latin, “litterae patens”, a form of the verb “patere”, which means “to stand open”. In other words, a term that refers to “open letters” in the sense of public or “by decree” and in contrast to private “sealed letters” (in Latin litterae clausae) 

Reference

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)

https://www.abercrombie.com/

Oh, Letters Patent!* D.T. Abercrombie’s pack carrier

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The popular Abercrombie pack carrier, comprising a rigid frame, optional tumpline(1) and chest strap, is another patented invention that was awarded to David T. Abercrombie, the founder of Abercrombie Co., in 1892. Indeed, the US patent, US1217262, titled Pack carrier, was awarded on February 27, 1917 to David T. Abercrombie, hailing from New Jersey, and assigned to the New York corporation, David T. Abercrombie Company.

The invention had a twofold purpose. First, the rigid frame was designed to prevent contact between the rucksack(2) and the user’s back so that air could circulate freely in between. Secondly, the frame was designed to prevent the rucksack from rolling during movement and in case of an uneven load, ensuring that the load's weight was consistently centrally distributed between hips and shoulders, and optionally transferred in part to the forehead and/or chest.

The included patent Figure 1 depicts a side elevation view of the invention, and a user’s body(3). The patent Figure 1 further depicts a side view of the frame a, preferably rectangular in shape, and comprising light steel rods, with rounded ends a1 to conveniently attach a tumpline g, comprising a head strap g1 and an adjustment buckle g2. Likewise, the top bar of the frame might be bent upwards at the center a2 to enable attachment of shoulder straps c, adjusted with various buckles c1. Preferably, the frame a has a flexible light canvas filler b, secured to the frame a with lacing b1. The filler material b was designed to provide additional support in case the load was shorter or smaller than the frame. Finally, two hinged thrust rods d at the lower end of the frame were joined via a transversal rod d1. Together, the three rods functioned as a bail to transfer a portion of the load's weight to the hips, where it is less inconvenient to carry.

Below, pages 34 and 35 are extracted from the 1921 Blazed Trail Abercrombie & Fitch product catalog. The pages show various rucksacks, some of which would have accommodated the present invention frame, which also had the advantage of being removable and adaptable to various rucksack models.

Notes

* US patents were initially called Letters Patent in the European tradition, dating as far back as the 15th century, and at the inception of the United States, at the end of the 18th century, according to the first US Patent Act (1790). The term Letters Patent was then used well into the 19th century, although usage began to shift, following the provisions of the third US Patent Act (1836), which established the United States Patent Office. 

    The term “Letters Patent” is derived from Latin, “litterae patens”, a form of the verb “patere”, which means “to stand open”. In other words, a term that refers to “open letters” in the sense of public or “by decree” and in contrast to private “sealed letters” (in Latin litterae clausae)  

(1) A tumpline, also called a tump strap, is a canvas forehead band designed to transfer some of the rucksack weight to the head. 

(2) A rucksack is a top-loading pack designed for heavy outdoor loading.
(3) The user’s body is drawn with broken lines to indicate context vs. object of the invention.

Reference

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)

https://www.abercrombie.com/

Oh, Letters Patent! D. T. Abercrombie's camping utensil

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

David T. Abercrombie, the founder of Abercrombie Co. in 1892 was also a multiple-time patented inventor. A surveyor by trade, his experience of the great outdoors undoubtedly informed both his entrepreneurship in high-end gear for wilderness adventurers, and his inventions in the domain of camping.

For example, the Letters Patent* No. 730731, titled Camping utensil, is one such US utility patent, awarded June 9th, 1903, to David T. Abercrombie, hailing from Newark, NJ, and assigned to the New York firm Abercrombie & Fitch. The patent recites an improvement to camping utensils, specifically to frying pans. Still in use to date, this improvement comprised a removable handle, so that the improved frying pan might be easily packed, stored, and readily assembled for use.

The patent Figure 1, included above, depicts a side elevation view of the invention. The invention comprises a frying pan 1, preferably made of aluminum. The side 2 of the frying pan comprises a socket, made of two pieces of metal 3, riveted into the side 2. The socket is tapered at the top and flared at the bottom inlet, with slightly raised edges 4 to enable cooperation with the foot 6 of the handle. 

The handle comprises a grip 12 and a shank 5 with a foot 6 turned upwards, intended to cooperate with the frying pan socket, slipping in from the bottom up. To prevent the handle foot 6 from disengaging from the frying pan socket, a retaining member, comprising a rim-engaging member 9 and a shank portion 8, is clamped together with the handle shank 5, using a slide 11, moved laterally towards the socket. The slide 11 also moves back laterally, towards the grip 12, to allow the handle foot 6 to be disengaged from the frying pan socket.  

A vintage Abercrombie & Fitch camping advertisement is also included above. On the left, the advertisement depicts a Nesting cook set comprising, in particular, a frying pan with a detached handle.  

________

Note
*  Patents were called Letters Patent as early as the 15th century in Europe, and at the inception of the United States, at the end of the 18th century, according to the provisions of the first US Patent Act (1790). The term Letters Patent was used well into the 19th century, although usage began to shift following the provisions of the third US Patent Act (1836), which established the United States Patent Office. 

    The term Letters Patent is derived from Latin, litterae "patens”, a form of the verb “patere”, which means “to stand open”. In other words, a term that refers to “open letters” in the sense of public or “by decree”, and in contrast to private “sealed letters” (in Latin litterae clausae).

Reference

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)

https://www.abercrombie.com/

Oh, patents! Bottle cap for A&F Perfume No. 1

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The square bottle cap for the signature Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) Perfume No. 1 for women is an industrial design that was registered in Canada. The Canadian industrial design CA146002, titled Cap for bottle, was registered on March 27, 2013. The applicant and registered proprietor are both Abercrombie & Fitch.

Please note that a Canadian industrial design registration protects the unique appearance of a product: its shape, configuration, pattern or ornament (or any combination of these features)

Figure 1, extracted from the Canadian industrial design registration, is shown below, together with the image of a marketed bottle of A&F Perfume No. 1 for women. The bottle has a navy colored fabric bow around its neck. The Canadian industrial design Figure 1 depicts solid lines for the cap, and broken lines—for illustration purposes only—outlining the bottle. 

The A&F Perfume No. 1, was released in 2011. This fresh floral perfume has a tangerine top note, peony middle note, and pine and sandalwood base notes.

Reference 
Abercrombie & Fitch  (website)
https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us

Canadian Intellectual Property Office – Industrial Designs

https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canadian-intellectual-property-office/en/industrial-designs

Oh, patents! A&F Fierce cologne bottle

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Created in 2002, the  Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) Fierce fragrance for men is arguably the most famous A&F fragrance because it was pumped through A&F store ventilation systems to give customers an olfactory shopping experience. Since 2002 many variations of the Fierce fragrance have been released, including a Fierce for her edition in 2016. The bottles containing the Fierce fragrances are patented designs. 

The USD design patent, USD573035S1, titled Bottle for fragrance, perfume, eau de toilette, cosmetics or other products, was awarded on July 15, 2008 to Brett A. Dean, and assigned to the Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Co. Below, the patent Figure 4 depicts an exploded view of the smaller 2 oz travel-size bottle, together with the image of a marketed 2 oz, travel-size  Fierce cologne bottle. 

Reference

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)
https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us

Oh, patents! Abercrombie & Fitch Bra-Free collection

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Within every piece of the Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) Bra-Free collection, there is a US utility patent with a scope extending beyond the specification of the invention. Indeed, the A&F Bra-Free collection encompasses a wide variety of garments, including camisoles, maxi and mini dresses, tanks, mock-neck sleeveless tees, scoop-neck tops, high-neck tops, lace tops, and the latest ¾-sleeve pointelle cardigan-tank, each comprising breast support without underwire or padding. An invention recited in the US utility patent, USRE41654E1, titled Garment with interior bra structure and side supports. A patent, assigned to the A&F Trading Co., that was reissued and awarded on Sept. 7th, 2010, to five inventors: Lisa Powers (US), Jami Leigh Anderson (US), Tiffany Nicole Harris (US), Christine Marie Kennedy (US), and Joshua Andrew Baumer (US).

The patent recites an interior bra structure with side supports, specified different from a shelf-bra that tends to minimize the bustline and is less flattering than a real bra. The patent also recites an interior bra structure with supports, different from a built-in bra permanently attached to a garment, that might show owing to a contour unmatched to a garment neckline or its straps, or bulge owing to padding and/or underwire. Thus, the invention offers to remedy the prior art of shelf bras and built-in bras, by offering a flattering bra structure that supports women’s breasts without padding, underwire, flattening, or a contour separate from the garment neckline or straps.

The included patent Figure 1 shows a woman 100 wearing a garment that covers at least her torso 102 and embodies the present interior bra invention. Specifically, the patent Figure 1 depicts a sports camisole 10 with an interior bra structure. The exterior fabric layer 14, of the garment has an upper part 14c, comprising the interior bra fabric layer 16, a front exterior panel 14a, and a rear exterior panel 14b, connected at side seams 14d. Side support panels 18 on each side of the woman’s breasts are connected to the interior fabric layer 16 of the bra structure, near the underarm towards the front, in the area 104.

The image of a striped Bra-Free rib scoop neck tank appears next to the patent Figure 1. Below, the abstract of the invention is also included.

A women's garment with built-in breast support and no underwire, comprises an exterior fabric layer for covering the torso. An exterior fabric layer has an upper part for at least partly covering the breasts. An interior fabric layer is connected to the upper part of the exterior fabric layer and is sized to extend only over the upper part of the exterior fabric layer on the inner surface thereof to cover at least part of the breasts of a woman. A pair of side support panels are connected to the interior fabric layer, each at over one lateral area of the torso, the lateral areas being adjacent respective lateral sides of the breasts and are made of non-stretch material for supporting the breasts. A pair of tapes or other fixing mechanisms are connected to the interior fabric layer and extend along respective medial edges of the side support panels. [Abstract USRE41654E1]

Reference
Abercrombie & Fitch (website)
https://www.abercrombie.com/

Oh, patents! abercrombie kids moose perfume bottle cap

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

 abercrombie kids markets a line of gentle, dermatology-tested, cosmetics. This cosmetics line currently includes Life, the girls' perfume, and Play the boys' cologne, both bottles equipped with moose antler bottle caps.

The moose bottle antler caps are a patented design. The US design patent USD953162S, titled Bottle cap, was awarded to Catherine Bamber (US), Kayla Kauzlarich (US)  and Sarah Schwartz, (US), on May 31, 2022. The patent was then assigned to Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Co.

The extracted patent figure 1 depicts a perspective view of the new bottle cap design. The broken lines indicate those parts of the design considered contextual and unclaimed (i.e., unprotected).

The girls' Life perfume, embodying the invention design cap, has a fresh sweet scent, with notes of fresh air, vanilla orchid, amber & musk. The boys' Play cologne has a fresh and crisp scent, with notes of fresh air, sage, sandalwood & musk.

               .          .                                                             

Reference
abercrombie kids
https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/kids/

Trademarked! A&F moose

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

For a lifestyle brand targeting the 20-something crowd, “Naughty or Nice”, sexy, rugged and preppy, one might wonder why a “moose” of all creatures remained as the endearing Abercrombie & Fitch logo, through to 2015, when the adult brand largely switched to logo-free. Whether large, small, or more recently infused with character in the abercrombie kids collections, the A&F moose is unmistakable.

Mystery solved with a cursory overview of Abercrombie & Fitch’s long history. Founded in 1892 in downtown Manhattan (New York City) by David T. Abercrombie as the Abercrombie Co., this nineteenth-century company originally catered to the refined outdoor enthusiast, for whom no suitable clothing or gear existed. Indeed, David T. Abercrombie was well positioned to know this, since he was a surveyor who spent much time in the wilderness. Ezra Fitch, on the other hand, was a wealthy, outdoor-loving, New York lawyer, who injected the company with capital, enabling it to grow. Thus, the moose is a charming symbol of the company’s outdoor roots that has withstood the test of time for more than 150 years.

The A&F moose logo is also a live trademark, registered at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). With the serial number 78253625 and the Registration Number 2889083, the Moose logo was registered anew on 5-23-2023 with a current renewal date set to 9-28-2034.

References

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)

https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us

abercombie kids (website)

https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/kids?

USPTO - Trademarks

https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks

Trademarked: ON Dream on.

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The familiar ON logo appearing everywhere on the ON CLOUDS brand products is a registered wordmark at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). However, the registered wordmark description only partially reveals the logo’s meaning. The description registered in the USPTO database reads:

“The mark consists of the stylized lowercase wording 'ON' with the 'O' appearing on top of the letter "N". The 'O' has a small square extension diagonally sticking out of its top-right side. " Further below is the wording "DREAM ON.".

Indeed, ‘the small square extension diagonally sticking out” that makes the “O” look like an upside-down “Q” is in fact an old-fashioned stylized “light switch”. A switch, which graphically aligns with the brand’s desire to “ignite the human spirit with movement”.

Live and learn!

References

USPTO Trademark Search Results

https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/search/search-results/79975835

Staff. The history of ON (running). The Fresh Press by Finish Line Inc.

https://blog.finishline.com/the-history-of-on-running/

Oh, patents! ON CLOUDS soles

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The ON CLOUDS GmbH company was founded in 2010, in Zurich, Switzerland, by three former professional athletes: Olivier Bernhard*, David Allemann, and Caspar Coppeti. The brand took off with Roger Federer’s endorsement and co-designer partnership in 2019, then went public on the New York Stock Exchange (ONON) in 2021. However, the story of the brand’s origin is one of a kind.

Indeed, ON running shoes were born of cut garden hose pieces (seen as “clouds”) attached under a sports shoe upper. The garden hose pieces were intended to provide a soft landing—gentle on knees—when compressed under the runner’s repeated impact with the ground. Such garden-hose “clouds” would also provide a hard enough surface to enable propulsion, after compression under impact with the ground. An original idea, cobbled by Oliver Bernhard, that became the brand’s “cushioned landing, powerful takeoff” award-winning** cloud technology.

The US design patent USD804159S, titled Shoe sole, was granted on Dec. 5, 2017 to David Allemann (CH ) and Olivier Bernhard (CH), for the ornamental properties of the ON CLOUDS running shoe sole, modeling the original hose-cloud sole.

Below, the patent Figures 1 and 2 depict, respectively, a bottom plan view and a lateral elevation view of the ON CLOUDS running shoe sole, together with an image of a marketed ON Clouds product.

--------
Notes:

* Swiss Ironman champion.

** ON won the ISPO (Internationale Sponsorenmesse) BrandNew Award in 2010.

Reference
ON CLOUDS (website)
https://www.on.com/en-us/

Oh, patents! The Ōura ring potting compound (2)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

What’s a potting compound got to do with electronics, specifically the Ōura ring wearable computing device (WCD)? According to the US utility patent US11850069B, titled Wearable device and methods of manufacturing, the Ōura ring potting compound is preferably made of epoxy resin that is overmolded over the Ōura ring flexible circuit board and its electronic components. Thus, the Ōura ring potting compound encapsulates the miniaturized electronic components, preventing them from moving or being damaged by the environment. The potting compound also makes the smart ring impervious to water, which means you can wash dishes or swim without removing your ring. Fiinally, the potting compound forms a transparent window through which the tiny LED, red, green and infrared lights of the optical sensor can be concentrated and emitted, through finger skin into blood vessels, and re-captured by tiny photodiodes (PDs), to measure blood oxygen levels and variations in heart rate. Indeed, the Ōura ring potting compound and its particular embodiments, inside the exterior Ōura ring shell, is a patented invention.*

The included patent Figure 2 depicts an exploded view of an Ōura ring embodiment 200. Specifically, the patent Figure 2 depicts, the exterior ring shell 202, with alignment frames 204 and 206, made of a nickel, iron or cobalt alloy, attracted to the magnets of a charging base (undepicted on this figure drawing). The Figure 2 further depicts the electronic assembly 210, including a flexible circuit board 208, an antenna 222, a pressure sensor 216, a temperature sensor 214, and a near field communication (NFC) interface for connecting the ring via Bluetooth, wifi, Zigbee, ultra-wideband (UWB) or other wireless transmission. The Figure 2 also depicts the power source 220, and material 218 wedged between the power source 220 and the electronic assembly 210. Finally, the Figure 2 depicts the overmolded material 224 (the potting compound), encapsulating all the electronics and the power supply, within the exterior shell 202.

---------

*Note: The US utility patent US11850069B, titled Wearable device and methods of manufacturing, was awarded on December 26, 2023, to Denis Mars (US), Simon Ratner (US), and Curt C. von Badinski (US), one of the original Motiv Inc. , co-founders and smart ring inventors. In fact, the Motiv Inc., smart ring was the first comfortably and conveniently wearable computing device (WCD), which Ōuraring Inc., has continuously worked on improving, since Motiv Inc., was acquired via Proxy Inc.

References
Hughes, L. (Oct. 3, 2024). Inside the Ōura ring. Ōura Blog.
https://ouraring.com/blog/inside-the-ring-oura-ring-4/
Ōura Smart Ring (website)
https://ouraring.com/US11850069B

Oh, patents! The Ōura smart ring (1)

Françoise © Herrmann

The Ōura smart ring captures body messages and translates them into actionable information. For example, the Ōura smart ring records your heart rate, blood oxygen level, temperature, the number of steps you take, the number of calories you burn, and how you sleep, plus lots more. Indeed, the Ōura smart ring not only tracks and monitors body messages, it also synthesizes and summarizes them into meaningful daily, weekly, or monthly information, giving you feedback that allows you to make improvements to your health and fitness, in consultation with your healthcare providers. The heart rate data collected has even been evaluated with 99% accuracy, compared to heart rate measured via electrocardiogram (Ōura Science & Research). 

The Ōura smart ring is a patented invention. For example, the following US design patent, USD79764S, titled Wearable computing device, was awarded on July 11th, 2017 to Curt C. vo Badinski (US) and Michael J. Strasser (US). The patent was assigned to Motiv Inc., in San Francisco, CA, a competitor that was eventually acquired by Ōuraring Inc., in 2023.* 

Below, an image of the patent Figure 1, showing a perspective view of the wearable computing device. An image of one of the latest, generation 5, Ōura ring embodiments of the patented design is also included below. A short YouTube marketing video of the Ōura smart rings 5 is also included beneath. 

-----

Note*:  Motiv Inc., including its patent portfolio, was first acquired by Proxy, Inc., in 2020. Then Ōuraring Inc., acquired Proxy Inc., in 2023. 

Reference

Ōura Science and Research

https://ouraring.com/science-and-research 

Ōura Smart Ring (website)

https://ouraring.com/ 

European Inventor Awards - The 2026 trophy. (5)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Each year, the European Inventor Award winners receive a trophy in the shape of a sail. Pun intended in English, although when the power of the wind was first harnessed for sailing, circa 5000 BC, on Egypt’s River Nile, the invention is certainly assumed to have promoted new trade routes. In any event, the sail design holds up well across cultures as a symbol of adventure or discovery, and by extension, innovation.

The stunning sail trophy was designed by the German industrial Product Designer, Prof. Miriam Irle. Most importantly, the sail trophy was also designed with the insight that it would be fabricated each year in a material significant to the location of the awards ceremony. Thus, for example, when the European Inventor Awards ceremony was held in Venice, Italy, the trophies were made of Murano glass. Likewise, when the European Inventor Awards were held in Lisbon, Portugal, the sail trophies were made of azulejo porcelain. Whereas, when the ceremony was held in France, the sail trophies were fabricated using computer-aided parametric modeling for 3D stereolithographic printing. As a result, each of the 2018 sail trophies featured different and intricate latticework. Six lattice designs, for the six award categories, each evoking the landmark Eiffel Tower's revolutionary, open-lattice ironwork, created using 18,000 pre-cut iron pieces, and built from 1887 to 1889.

The year 2026 was no exception in Berlin, Germany. However, the fabricator’s name and the materials used for the trophies were both withheld at the EPO website.*  An image of the 2026 Inventor Awards Trophy, which appears to be crafted of metal, is inset above. 

-----

*Note: According to Pr. Miriam Irle (personal communication), the early agreed-upon trophy designer was the well-known Berlin jewelry maker Luise Zücker. A selection which could not be confirmed at the time of the Ceremony.  

References
European Inventor Award
https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/european-inventor-award
Miriam Irle
https://www.miriam-irle.com/

European Inventor Awards - The 2026 winners! (4)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

On July 2nd, 2026, the winning European Inventors were announced during a ceremony held in Berlin, Germany. The winners in the four categories of Industry, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Research, and Non-EPO Countries, plus the Popular Prize, and a Lifetime Achievement Award were the following:  

• Industry: Angeliki Triantafyllou (Greece/Sweden) 
• SMEs: Franck Zal (France)
• Research: Sir Adrian V.S. Hill (Ireland, United Kingdom)
• Non-EPO Countries: Yu Haijun and Xie Yinghao (China) 
• Lifetime Achievement: Rainer Marquardt (Germany) 
• Popular Prize: Yu Haijun and Xie Yinghao (China)

In 2027, the European Patent Office (EPO) will be honoring Young Inventors < 30 years old.  The ceremony will take place in Vienna (Austria), at a date yet to be announced. The nomination period is now open, until September 30th, 2026. Please click here to access the EPO nomination platform. 

If you missed the Awards Ceremony on July 2nd, 2026, a link to the YouTube video recording of the event is included below the group picture. The ceremony lasts about 80 minutes. 

Link to July 2, 2026 European Inventor Awards Ceremony held in Berlin, Germany

References

European Patent Office
www.epo.org

Oh, patents! HOKA (4) - Midsole design.

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Like the brand name HOKA, the 2017 Arahi running shoes also have a Maori name. Arahi in the Maori language of New Zealand means “to lead” or “to guide”, consonant with “pathfinder”. Additionally, the 2017 HOKA One One* Arahi midsole is a patented design. 

The US design patent USD790174, titled Footwear midsole was awarded on June 27, 2017, to Kyle Pulli (US), and assigned to Deckers Outdoor Corporation in California. As a reminder, a US design patent covers the ornamental properties of an invention, or what the object looks like. In contrast, a US utility patent covers the functional properties of the design, or how an invention works and/or is manufactured (USPTO – MPEP).

The below patent Figure 1 depicts a front perspective view of the patented design, together with an image of a marketed 2017 HOKA One One Arahi women’s running shoe. The broken lines on the drawing indicate those parts of the design that are excluded from patent protection. 

_____

*Note - Originally, the brand name HOKA, meaning "to fly" in Maori, was called HOKA One One - "to fly over the earth", pronounced "Oh-nay, Oh-nay", a term which means "earth" in Maori. Thus, some of the early models are prefixed with the original brand name HOKA One One. 

 

References

Deckers (website)

https://www.deckers.com/

HOKA (website)

https://www.hoka.com/en/us/

USPTO MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent.

https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1502.html