IP Mix: Form and Function for 3D Design - Tokyo Intellectual Property American Inn of Court

Joshua Cohen, shareholder in the firm’s Intellectual Property Section and Mechanical Practice Group Co-Leader, co-chaired a program of the Tokyo Intellectual Property American Inn of Court on Feb. 15, 2024, held in Tokyo. “IP Mix: Form and Function for 3D Design” brought together a panel of Japanese and U.S. attorneys, and the program considered IP laws and strategies for protecting three-dimensional designs that include elements of both form and function.

Joshua’s segment of the program was titled “The Coke Bottle Story—Deliberate Differentiation.” His presentation explained how the origin story of the Coke bottle reveals a strategy by which today’s design innovators can plan for and deliver design differentiators, and then protect and promote those differentiators for long-lasting protection. Joshua also explained how IP counsel can be directly involved early in the product design process to promote differentiation, just as Coca-Cola’s Chief Lawyer Harold Hirsch did over a century ago.

The Tokyo Intellectual Property American Inn of Court is an organization chartered to advance ethics, professionalism, and civility in the law, especially as it relates to intellectual property. Joshua has been involved in the organization since its founding in 2012 and has served on its Executive Committee and Membership Committee.