U.S. Pat. D811,944 (issued March 6, 2018) on fuselage shape http://pimg-fpiw.uspto.gov/fdd/44/119/D08/0.pdf
U.S. Pat. D811,968 (issued March 6, 2018) on wrap windshield http://pimg-fpiw.uspto.gov/fdd/68/119/D08/0.pdf
U.S. Pat. D816,004 S (issued April 24, 2018) on side doors http://pimg-fpiw.uspto.gov/fdd/04/160/D08/0.pdf
The others just look generically futuristic & maybe aerodynamic versions of a current semi.
Pure patent troll rubbish.
I had thought that maybe design patents were a new thing, but a little research shows they aren't. The first was in 1842, and the Coke bottle in 1915 is a notable example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_patent
The only ray of light is that a design patent is invalid if the design has a functional benefit.
The patent applications were filed on Dec. 30, 2015.
Patent applications aren't granted overnight.
Yes.
> Were they submitted after the Telsa semi prototype has been known to the public?
No, the Tesla prototype was unveiled in November 2017; these were all filed on Dec. 30, 2015, as is prominently shown in the documents linked by GP.
Can't you just claim that Tesla's design is 1% different from the drawing and therefore not subject to this patent?
> In general terms, a “utility patent” protects the way an article is used and works (35 U.S.C. 101), while a “design patent” protects the way an article looks (35 U.S.C. 171).