<http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/us_fta/outcomes/08_intellectual_property.html>
There is a interesting page I found on design patents <http://www.barrigar.com/designusa89.html>, which basically says that only the ornamental aspects can covered by the design patents and thus protected for 14 years. The functional aspects of the design can be protected by copyright registration and can therefore be protected for much longer periods - up to 120 years from date of creation in some cases <http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/training/Hirtle_Public_Domain.htm>. I think it would be difficult to argue that much of an aircraft design was purely ornamental.
cheers Paul
At 5:22 PM -0800 3/2/05, Simon Van Leeuwen wrote:
It could very well be that endeavors like this outside of the USA fall under different rules...but I doubt it as far as patent infringment is concerned. Read on:
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