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Few months ago, an idea went over my head. After some thinking, I though I had first to do a search over the internet to see if my idea already existed. And it existed.

I found out that there is a company that is selling the product I had in mind. The product is sold behind a brand named qlocktwo.

As you can see, it's a wall clock but instead of pointers, it uses words to show the time.

I did sooo much googleing and all I found out, was the company name and its copyright (the name, but not the design). My idea is not to copy literally the design, but create a clock with words.

However, I don't really know if the a design patent or maybe a copyrighted includes the idea of using words to show the time.

Is there any website where I can check this?

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  • This site is about patents not trademarks or copyrights. This type of product might have one or both a design patent and a utility (invention) patent. I would suggest google/patents.
    – George White
    Sep 21, 2013 at 0:36

1 Answer 1

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A US patent application:

Publication number US20110157186 A1

Inventors Marco Biegert, Andreas Funk

Original Assignee Biegert Funk GmbH & Co. KG

Found with google patents using the name of the German manufacturer of the device in the assignee field.

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  • Thank you. I've tried to read whole document, but I'm a little bit newbie with this. I've tried to find out what is he preventing to other people "copy". Imagine I create and sell a product that is a clock with words instead of pointers. Is this illegal? Do you know maybe where can I ask this kind of questions? Anyways im accepting this as an answer for your help.
    – Reinherd
    Sep 21, 2013 at 10:59
  • This particular document is only an application for a patent, not a granted patent.
    – George White
    Sep 27, 2013 at 15:34
  • is it possible to search for a granted patent?
    – Reinherd
    Oct 4, 2013 at 11:23
  • Of course, almost all patent databases (except the USPTO's) combine applications and patents under a single search umbrella. Applications say "publication" in the upper right corner somewhere and patents say "patent". A recent application publication will start with 2013 and a recent patent will be a number in the 8 millions.
    – George White
    Oct 4, 2013 at 22:57

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