More Patented Toys Pt. 1
Most of us had toys that we adored growing up. But did you know that toys can be patented? Toys may qualify as inventions and may be eligible for utility patent protection if they meet certain requirements. We’ve already discussed some patented toys in previous blog posts. But as we know, there are so many different types of toys! In this week’s blog post, we will be exploring more patented toys!
Patents
As mentioned earlier, toys can also qualify for utility patent protection. Although we said that toys can be protected by utility patents, toys may qualify for other types of patent protection. For example, there is design patent protection available for certain toys, which would protect the appearance of the toy. Now that we discussed the kinds of patent protection that is available, let’s take a look at some of the toys covered by patents.
The Gameboy
The Gameboy was probably one of the most famous handheld electronic games ever to hit the scene. Remember trying to play it in the back seat of your parent’s car while using the passing street lamps for illumination? It didn’t work very well but we all tried to anyhow. Although there may have other electronic handheld gaming devices out there during the 90s, the Gameboy was considered by a breakthrough by many. The Gameboy is covered by U.S. Patent No. 5,184,830 and titled “Compact hand-held video game system.” Undoubtedly, the Gameboy gave Nintendo and advantage in the market during the 90s.
Click here to read the patent covering the Gameboy.
Toy Robot
We’ve always seen toy robots throughout the movies and other forms of entertainment. One of the earliest toy robots to be patented is the toy robot covered by U.S. Design Patent. No. 174,588. It has the iconic toy robot look, with the square head, clamp for hands, and box-shaped body.
Click here to read the patent on the Toy Robot.
Toy Yoda
“May the Force be with you.” A famous line from the extremely popular Star Wars Franchise. There are countless characters throughout the franchise, but some stand out more than others. One of those characters may be Yoda. Yoda is said to be a legendary Jedi Master who played an integral role in Star Wars. And like any good franchise, there are toys related to that franchise. Various Star Wars related characters had toys modeled after them, including Yoda. The design for a toy Yoda was also patented and covered by U.S. Design Patent No. 265,754
Click here to read the patent on the Yoda Toy.
Teddy Bear
One of the first toys that anyone has ever received as a child, or even as an infant, is a teddy bear. The Teddy Bear helped calm us late at night in the dark. It also provided us with a friend for tea parties, and even came with us to the first day of school. But did you know there is a patent covering a certain type of teddy bear? That patent is U.S. Patent No. 1,359,398, which is titled “Toy animal.” The background of invention states that the patent related to an ” audible tone producing devices related with toy animals.”
Click here to read the patent on the Teddy Bear.
Toy Truck
Click here to read the patent on the Toy Truck
Playing the sand box is always fun. You can build sandcastles and dig holes. But you want to know what made it even more fun? Having a toy truck to excavate sand in the sand box! The toy truck is another toy that most of us grew up with. Additionally, there is also a patent covering toy trucks, which is U.S. Patent No. 3,091,888 and titled (you guessed it) “Toy Truck.”
What are your thoughts on these patented toys? Leave a comment below to let us know what you think!
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Disclaimer: This article is not legal advice. It is only for educational or entertainment purposes only. Please do not use the article or contents of the article without permission. For legal advice and questions, please contact registered Patent Attorney Vincent LoTempio.
