Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 15 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

U.S. Patent No. D996,913 entitled “UTV Cooler Box” issued August 29, 2023 to Tractor Supply Co. of Texas, LP of Brentwood, Tennessee. Invented by Christian D. Fogg of Columbia, Tennessee; Mitchell Loren Wilgus of Spring Hill, Tennessee; Ty Rager of Brentwood, Tennessee; Spencer Carpenter of Lewisburg, Tennessee and Wei Hui of Shanghai, China. Claim: What is claimed is the ornamental design for a UTV cooler box, as shown and described.