According to 17 U.S.C. § 101 , a is an item with an "intrinsic utilitarian function" that goes beyond merely looking nice or providing information. Common examples include: Clothing: Protecting the warmth or shape of a body. Furniture: Providing a place to sit or eat.
The feature must be able to exist on its own—for example, as a painting or sculpture—if it were imagined apart from the functional object. apdn__1249zip
The "useful article" doctrine is a key legal concept in copyright law that determines when artistic elements of a functional object—like a chair, a dress, or a lamp—can be protected. According to 17 U
For instance, a floral design engraved on a silver spoon can be copyrighted as an artistic work, but the shape and function of the spoon itself cannot be copyrighted. Why APDN Matters for Useful Articles Furniture: Providing a place to sit or eat
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