One evening in 1935 outdoorsman Eddie Bauer almost froze to death in his soaking wet wool coat. Inspired by that incident, he designed a garment like a down sleeping bag, except that you wore it. Eddie Bauer's coat of 1940 was the first down garment to be manufactured, and Bauer got a design patent on his design of downcoat. Bauer started with a store in Seattle, and now his company has 400+ stores in all 50 states. There is even an Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer. In the early years Bauer also patented a badminton shuttlecock, and was influential in popularizing badminton in the U.S. Thanks to Steve Nipper of The Invent Blog fame for this patent.
Design patents do not protect ideas that involve technology, like the down filled idea of Eddie's jacket above. The design patent only protects a pattern or style of garment that can be easliy modified in any design around attempt by copiers.
Posted by: Paul Roide | December 28, 2005 at 09:50 AM