Case Study: Leading household-appliance manufacturer identifies design patent infringements with RWS Crowd Search

Brand protection RWS identifies evidence of IP infringement for a leading manufacturer

A leading household-appliance manufacturer suspected lower‑quality competitors were copying key design elements of a popular product—its shape and placement of functions—potentially infringing its design patent and diluting its brand. To confirm and act on these concerns, the client engaged RWS IP Research’s Crowd Search for a seven‑week targeted Evidence of Use study.

RWS broke the patented design into claim-based sub‑parts and mobilized the Crowd to highlight images and submit OEM documentation mapped piece‑by‑piece to those elements, all accessible in the AOP Connect platform. The study produced 400+ submissions with 90 in‑scope hits (several demonstrating clear infringement), directly identifying infringing parties and supplying evidence that supported the client’s enforcement actions.