Leave the Article, Take the Design: USPTO Updates Guidance for Digital Designs to Drop the Depiction Requirement for Computer Screens

On March 13, 2026, and effective immediately, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice of “Supplemental Guidance for Examination of Design Patent Applications Related to Computer-Generated Interfaces and Icons” in the Federal Register (“Supplemental Guidance”), with application to all design patent applications filed before, on, or after March 13, 2026. In short, the Supplemental Guidance establishes that when the title and claim identify a computer, computer... By: Quarles & Brady LLP