Utility patent protection is typically the first thing that comes to mind for protecting a product; however, such protection may not be available when the product has been on the market a long time or is dominated by non-functional aspects. For example, consumable wear products, like seals and valves, often enjoy high margins but have simple designs that are susceptible to copycats. Their profitability justifies aggressive efforts to put in place IP protections, but traditional utility patents might fall short
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