Re: Re: Are patent drawings public domain?

So assume that a patent issues for a machine and the patent drawings show the preferred embodiement of the invention. When the patent expires, has the person who makes and sells the claimed machine described in the specification and shown in the drawing infringed upon the copyright owner's right to make a derivative work?
Jim Brennan

On 4/21/06, S. Martin Keleti <keleti[_at_]manifesto.com> wrote:
>
> I see no reason for patent drawings to be in the
> public domain. The text (i.e., the claims) are
> because they're the words of legal significance
> the grant the patent monopoly. The drawings are
> merely part of the disclosure. The copyright
> interest in the drawings begins with their
> author(s), who might be the person filing the
> patent (because, for example, they are works made
> for hire, or the inventor or the inventor's
> assignee is also the author of the drawings), or might be someone else.
>
> Part of the Code of Federal Regulations addresses
> this:
>
> http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/appxr_1_71.htm#cfr37s1.71
> ;
>
> http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/appxr_1_84.htm#cfr37s1.84
>
> "The authorization shall read as follows:
>
> A portion of the disclosure of this patent
> document contains material which is subject to
> (copyright or mask work) protection. The
> (copyright or mask work) owner has no objection
> to the facsimile reproduction by any­one of the
> patent document or the patent disclosure, as it
> appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent
> file or records, but otherwise reserves all
> (copyright or mask work) rights whatsoever."
>
> So the book cover design would seem beyond the scope of the authorization.
>
> The short answer to your question (" are patent
> drawings filed with PTO and publicly available
> public domain, or does the person who filed the
> patent have a copyright interest in them?" is: No, the copyright owner
> does.
>
>
>
> At 02:55 PM 4/20/2006, richards[_at_]lsu.edu wrote:
> >Got an interesting question today - are patent drawings filed with PTO
> >and publicly available public domain, or does the person who filed the
> >patent have a copyright interest in them? Say I wanted to use on as a
> >book cover design?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Ed
> >
> >Edward P. Richards
> >Director, Program in Law, Science, and Public Health
> >Harvey A. Peltier Professor of Law
> >Paul M. Hebert Law Center
> >Louisiana State University
> >Baton Rouge, LA 70803-1000
> >richards[_at_]lsu.edu
> >http://biotech.law.lsu.edu
> >Phone: 225/578-7595
> >Fax: 225/578-5935
> >
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> S. Martin Keleti
> Cohen and Cohen
> 740 North La Brea Avenue
> Los Angeles, CA 90038-3339
> 323.938.5000
> 323.936.6354 fax
>
>
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Received on Mon Apr 24 2006 - 19:45:00 GMT