Examples of articles for which design patents have been obtained are lamps, vases, and furniture. Provisional Applications.This Guide is intended to serve as a primer for the inventor and entrepreneur on the protection of new ideas and the products which result from them. Patent Center Overview provides details on how to file an application in Patent Center. Quick Clinic Video Series. In order to register a mark in Minnesota, it must have been used commercially prior to registration. Volumes 25, 25A, and 25B cover Intellectual Property forms. Digital access also available in the law library. Patents are granted to inventors for new and nonobvious technologies. Let's take a brief look at two main types of intellectual property your small business may have and how to best protect them from infringement.