Legal Definitions - typed drawing

A typed drawing refers to a visual representation or diagram created using standard alphanumeric characters, symbols, and punctuation marks available on a keyboard or typewriter, rather than a freehand sketch, a photograph, or a graphically designed image. This method is typically employed when a simple, character-based depiction is sufficient, or when specific regulations permit or require such a format for clarity within a text-based legal document, such as a patent or trademark application.

• Example 1: Trademark Application for a Unique Text-Based Logo

  A small software company wants to trademark its distinctive logo, which is simply the characters _/\_ arranged in a specific way to resemble a mountain peak. Instead of submitting a graphic file, they provide a "typed drawing" of _/\_ as part of their trademark application to clearly define the visual mark.

  This illustrates a typed drawing because the logo's visual form is conveyed entirely through standard keyboard characters, directly entered into the application document, rather than being an uploaded image.

• Example 2: Representing a Simple Flowchart in a Legal Brief

  In a legal brief describing a procedural process, an attorney might include a basic flowchart using characters to show the sequence of steps. For example, to illustrate a decision-making process, they might type:

  [START] --> [EVALUATE] --> (IF YES) --> [APPROVE]

  |

  (IF NO) --> [REJECT]

  This demonstrates a typed drawing where a conceptual flow is visually represented using arrows, brackets, and text made from keyboard characters, providing a clear diagram within the text without requiring a separate graphical insert.

• Example 3: Depicting a Basic Mechanical Configuration in an Older Patent Filing

  Decades ago, before widespread graphic design software, an inventor might have used a typed drawing to illustrate a simple mechanical component in a patent application. For instance, representing a basic lever mechanism as:

  ---[FULCRUM]---

  /

  /

  LOAD

  This example shows a typed drawing being used to convey the essential visual structure of a mechanical device through the arrangement of hyphens, slashes, and text, serving as a rudimentary diagram within the patent document.