Apple argued that Samsung had copied the design of the iPhone in several Android phones, not merely its functionality, but its visual appearance: the shape of the device, the front face and the arrangement of the icons.

Juries initially awarded enormous damages. But the most important legal moment came in 2016 before the U.S. Supreme Court: how should compensation be calculated? On the value of the entire product or only of the component whose design was copied?

The Supreme Court decided that the term 'article of manufacture' may designate a component of a product, not necessarily the final product. This reopened the calculation of damages and led to further proceedings.

The lesson for any manufacturer of physical goods is clear: industrial design does not protect only works of art. It protects any product with a distinctive visual appearance. Registering the design before market launch is an investment, not a cost.