Method's mission centers on using artful and innovative bottle designs to cultivate dedicated customers who will ultimately make a positive change for the environment. Method’s bottles are a smart alternative to some of the bulky and leaky household and personal care products on the market today. In addition to carving out a niche in the marketplace for "recyclable plastic art," Method's products actually get the job done! By using naturally derived surfactants that dissolve and remove dirt, their products are as efficient as they are aesthetically on point.
In an effort to protect the innovative packaging of their products, Method turned to Sterne Kessler for an IP strategy that would secure Method’s position as a trendsetter in artistic packaging for every-day home and personal care preparations. Sterne Kessler knew at the outset that a one-size-fits-all IP strategy simply would not do—such unique products warranted a correspondingly creative approach to IP protection. To that end, we fashioned a strategy tailored to each bottle’s aesthetic features and expected marketing plans. We determined that certain bottles are best suited for patent protection, while others are better adapted to copyright protection. For example, with the assistance of Sterne Kessler, the design of Method’s ‘Lighthouse” laundry detergent bottle is patented in the U.S. and abroad, while the company’s 3-in-1 shampoo “penguin” bottle is copyrighted.