Italy / USA - At the end of December 2004, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted a design patent (US D500,306 S) to Italian pro audio manufacturer Outline, for the design of its Butterfly line array (hi-pack C.D.H. 483 element). The patent's priority is dated 9 July 2002.

Outlien has told us: "This acknowledgment, granted after a lengthy period of examination by the US Patent Office, gives Butterfly a great added value and, following the International WIPO patent, is further confirmation of the originality of the Butterfly's design, relegating the numerous variations that have appeared at international level to the role of mere imitations."

The following is a list of patents and numerous applications for patents (some still at the approval stage) regarding the overall Butterfly system: U.S. - D 500,306 S (Butterfly Design) - Granted; Italy - BS2002O000020 (Butterfly Design) - Approved; WIPO (International) - DM/062394 (Butterfly Design) - Granted; Italy - BS2002A000063 (Butterfly D.P.R.W.G.) - Approved; PCT - IT 03 - 00123 (Butterfly D.P.R.W.G.) - Approved; Extension Patent pending in Europe, USA, Russia, China; Italy - BS2002A000060 (Butterfly C.D.L. 1815) - Approved; PCT - IT 03 - 00065 (Butterfly C.D.L. 1815) - Approved; Extension Patent pending in Europe, USA, Russia and China; Italy - BS2003A000094 (Butterfly Mechanical System) - Pending; EP - 4425744,2 (Butterfly Mechanical System) - Pending.

Further info regarding Butterfly's patents can be found at the website address below:

(Lee Baldock)


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