Doba has introduced two new tools to its AI Tool Hub: AI Design Patent Check and AI Copyright Check. Designed for online retailers, these tools help identify similar design patent records and registered copyrighted works before products go live.
Whether you're sourcing a product with a distinctive shape or preparing to list an item featuring original artwork, these checks give you a starting point for reviewing potential intellectual property concerns. Here's how each tool works, when to use it, and what the results mean.
Meet Doba's new AI Design Patent and Copyright Check tools
Both tools live in Doba's AI Tool Hub and find public records that look similar to a product image, so you can review them before you list.
AI Design Patent Check starts from a Doba Item No. or an image you upload. It compares the image against active design patents in national patent-office databases and returns patents that look similar, along with their details and a similarity score.
AI Copyright Check starts from images you upload or select. It compares them against registered copyrighted works and shows similar works for your reference.
The two checks look at different kinds of protection. According to the USPTO, a design patent protects the way an article looks, and that can include its shape, the surface ornamentation applied to it, or both. Copyright is different.
According to the U.S. Copyright Office, a work is protected from the moment it's created and fixed in a tangible form, and registration is voluntary. So a printed illustration or pattern on a product can be protected even without a visible copyright notice.
The two rights don't split neatly into "shape" and "image." A printed pattern on a mug can raise a copyright question, and surface ornamentation can also appear in a design patent, which is why some products are worth running through both checks.
The tools cover design patents and registered copyrighted works. Trademarks, meaning brand names and logos, are a separate question.
| AI Design Patent Check | AI Copyright Check | |
|---|---|---|
| How you start | Doba Item No. or your own image | Upload or select images |
| What it compares against | Active design patents in national patent-office databases | Registered copyrighted works |
| What you get back | Similar patents, with details and a similarity score | Similar works for your reference |
| What the results help you review | Similar design patent records relating to product appearance | Similar registered copyrighted works found through image comparison |
| What it can't tell you | Whether you can sell the product or whether it infringes | Whether your supplier licensed the image, or anything about unregistered works |
| Cost | 2 Credits per image | 1 Credit per image |
How to use AI Design Patent Check
Suppose a seller plans to list a ceramic vase with a distinctive curved shape. This is an illustrative scenario, not a real check result.
1. Start the check. Use the product's Doba Item No., or upload an image of the product.
2. Let the system compare. It checks the image against active design patents in national patent-office databases.
3. Review the similar patents. Each result includes details such as the patent number, owner, and figures, plus a similarity score.
4. Compare the drawings with the product. Look at the patent figures next to the vase from several angles.
5. Decide how to proceed. The tool shows records, and you choose what to do with them.
A similar record is something to investigate, not a conclusion. It's a reason to read the patent, confirm whether it's still in force, and ask your supplier where the product comes from. If the question is serious, get advice from a qualified IP attorney before you list.
It also explains why swapping the product photo doesn't resolve a design patent match. A design patent protects what the product looks like, whichever photo you use.
How to use AI Copyright Check
Now suppose a seller plans to list a mug printed with a floral illustration. Again, this is an illustrative scenario, not a real check result.
1. Choose the images. Upload the product photos you plan to use, or select them.
2. Let the system compare. It checks the images against registered copyrighted works.
3. Review the similar works. The tool shows works that look similar to your image.
4. Compare them yourself. Look at the illustration and any matched work side by side.
5. Decide how to proceed. Whether to replace the image or take further steps is your call.
A copyright check does not verify whether your supplier has licensed an image to you. Even if no similar registered work is found, you still need to confirm that you have permission to use the image.
If you plan to create new product visuals, AI Image Studio in the AI Tool Hub is one option. AI-generated images aren't automatically free of third-party rights, so the same permission and review steps still apply.
How to interpret your check results
Use the results as clues to follow up on, and keep these points in mind:
• The similarity score is a raw model value. Doba doesn't group scores into levels or set a threshold for "high." A score such as 0.85 isn't labeled high or low, so compare the images side by side.
• "No similar records were found" and "This check didn't complete" are different outcomes. The first means the check finished and nothing matched. The second means it never finished, so you have no result yet. A failed check never appears as "no risk."
• No match isn't clearance. It means nothing similar was found in the records at that moment. Records grow, so the same image can produce a different result later.
• Coverage has limits. The copyright check compares against registered works, but copyright protection doesn't depend on registration, so unregistered works can still be protected. Trademarks are also outside these checks.
• A match isn't a finding of infringement. The tools show similar records. They don't tell you how risky a match is or whether a use is legal.
• The checks can't guarantee you won't receive a complaint. They aren't legal advice, and the listing decision and responsibility stay with you. For legal questions, ask a qualified IP attorney.
Credits and pricing
AI Design Patent Check uses 2 Credits per image, and AI Copyright Check uses 1 Credit per image. Running both on one image uses 3 Credits. Both draw on AI Tool Hub Credits.
Your Doba subscription includes a monthly allowance of free AI Tool Hub Credits that varies by plan, and you can buy add-ons if you need more. See the Doba pricing page for current plan details.
Two billing details are worth knowing:
• Repeat checks are charged again. Each check gives you a conclusion for that image at that moment, and the records change over time.
• Failed checks aren't charged. If a check fails, for example because of an interface timeout or an abnormal response, you aren't charged and can run it again.
Add IP screening to your pre-listing workflow
Run the checks after you've picked a product and before you publish:
1. Choose the product you plan to sell.
2. Run AI Design Patent Check using its Doba Item No. or your own image.
3. Run AI Copyright Check on the images you plan to use.
4. Review every result, and confirm each check completed.
5. Separately confirm that you have permission to use the images and, if a record raises a question, check where the product comes from.
6. Decide whether to list, change the product or images, or get legal advice first.
Make IP screening part of your pre-listing process. Before publishing a new product, take a moment to review its design and the images you plan to use. Doba's AI Design Patent Check and AI Copyright Check make it easier to search for similar public records in one place, while keeping the final decision in your hands.
Explore both tools in the Doba AI Tool Hub.
Frequently asked questions
Q1:Can these checks guarantee I won't get a complaint?
No. They find existing public records and show them to you. The listing decision and the responsibility are yours.
Q2:My design patent check found a match. Can I just use a different photo?
No. A design patent protects what a product looks like, regardless of which photo you use. Changing the photo doesn't change the product's appearance.
Q3:What should I do if the copyright check finds a match?
A match means a similar registered work was found. It doesn't establish infringement. Look at the work, confirm that you have permission to use your image, and decide whether to replace it. Doba doesn't give handling advice, so consult an IP attorney if you're unsure.
Q4:What's the difference between "No similar records were found" and "This check didn't complete"?
The first means the check finished and found no match. The second means it never finished, usually because of an interface timeout or an abnormal response, so there's no result. You aren't charged for a failed check, and you can run it again.
