DWG is a binary file format used for storing two- and three- dimensional design data and
metadata.
It is the native format for several CAD packages including DraftSight, AutoCAD, IntelliCAD
and Caddie.
In addition, DWG is supported non-natively by many other CAD applications.
The .bak, .dws, .dwt and .sv$ files are also DWG files.
In addition, the two companies will facilitate work process interoperability between their
AEC applications through supporting the reciprocal use of available Application Programming Interfaces.
Version history Legal issues
On 13 November 2006, Autodesk sued the Open Design Alliance alleging that its DWGdirect
libraries infringed Autodesk's trademark for the word "Autodesk", by writing the TrustedDWG
watermark into DWG files it created.
Nine days later, Autodesk's attorneys won a broad and deep temporary restraining order
against the Open Design Alliance.
In April 2007, the suit was settled, essentially on Autodesk's terms, with Autodesk modifying
the warning message in AutoCAD 2008, and the Open Design Alliance removing support for
writing the TrustedDWG watermark from its DWGdirect libraries.
The effect of the temporary restraining order and subsequent consent decree was to render
the Open Design Alliance's DWGdirect libraries, from one point of view, incapable of creating
DWG files that are 100% compatible with AutoCAD.
Others point out that the failure of "100% compatibility" means only that loading such
a drawing triggers an essentially irrelevant warning message when the file is opened in
AutoCAD.
In 2006, Autodesk applied for registration of US trademarks on "DWG", "DWG EXTREME",
"DWG TRUECONVERT", "REALDWG", "DWGX", "DWG TRUEVIEW".
As early as 1996, Autodesk has disclaimed exclusive use of the DWG mark in US trademark
filings.
Out of these applications, only TRUSTEDDWG has been registered as a trademark by the
USPTO.
The REALDWG and DWGX registrations were opposed by SolidWorks.
The DWG EXTREME, DWG TRUECONVERT, and DWG TRUEVIEW trademark registration applications
all received substantial resistance, with the USPTO examining attorney requiring Autodesk
to disclaim exclusive use of DWG as a condition for their registration.
In a non-final action in May, 2007, the USPTO examining attorney refused to register the
two DWG marks, as they are "merely descriptive" of the use of DWG as a file format name.
In September, 2007, Autodesk responded, claiming that DWG has gained a "secondary meaning,"
separate from its use as a generic file format name.
As of June 22, 2008, all of Autodesk's DWG-related trademark registration proceedings were suspended
by the USPTO, pending disposition of trademark opposition and cancellation petitions Autodesk
had filed against the Open Design Alliance and Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation.
The USPTO office actions notifying Autodesk of this noted the following as facts:
DWG is a file format.
Applicant is not the exclusive source of files with the format name DWG.
Applicant does not control the use of DWG by others, either as a trademark or as a file
format name.
The submitted survey does not reflect recognition of DWG as a trademark, since no distinction
was made between use as a trademark and use as the name of a file format.
In 2006, Autodesk filed an opposition with the USPTO to the trademark registration of
DWGGATEWAY by SolidWorks.
Autodesk subsequently filed a petition for cancellation of SolidWorks' trademark registration
for DWGEDITOR.
In both cases, Autodesk's basis was that they had "been using the DWG name with its CAD
software products since at least as early as 1983."
The opposition and cancellation actions were consolidated, and suspended pending disposition
of Autodesk's US District Court suit against SolidWorks.
In early 2007, Autodesk petitioned the USPTO to cancel the Open Design Alliance's "OpenDWG"
trademarks, claiming that they had been abandoned.
This cancellation action was suspended pending disposition of Autodesk's US District Court
suit against SolidWorks.
In 2008, Autodesk sued SolidWorks in US District Court, arguing that through its marketing
efforts, the term "DWG" has lost its original generic meaning and taken on a secondary meaning
referring specifically to Autodesk's proprietary drawing file format, and therefore any use
of "DWG" in competitive products amounted to trademark infringement.
In January, 2010, on the morning that trial was scheduled to begin, Autodesk and SolidWorks
settled the suit, with SolidWorks acknowledging Autodesk's trademark rights for DWG, surrendering
its trademark registrations for its DWG related projects, and withdrawing its opposition to
Autodesk's DWG-related trademark registrations.
In April, 2010, Autodesk and the Open Design Alliance settled their suit, with the Open
Design Alliance agreeing to cancel its DWG-based trademark registrations and cease use of DWG
and DWG-based trademarks in its product marketing and branding.
Because there was no adjudication in either case, the agreements between the parties are
not binding upon the USPTO.
In March, 2010, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy at the USPTO
determined that evidence submitted by the Open Design Alliance two years earlier was
relevant and supported a reasonable ground for refusal to register DWG as a trademark.
In June, 2011 the USPTO issued a final refusal to register DWG as a trademark owned by Autodesk.
They were quoted as saying:
DWG is merely descriptive of applicant's goods under Section 2(e)(1) of the Trademark Act
for two reasons: DWG is a recognized abbreviation for “drawing," and .dwg is a file format
used for computer-aided design drawings made both with applicant's CAD software and others'
CAD software.
Autodesk appealed the decision.
The USPTO affirmed in 2013 their refusal to recognise DWG as a trademark.
Despite this, Autodesk websites still claimed DWG as a trademark after the decision.
Support Autodesk DWG TrueView software is a freeware
stand-alone DWG viewer with DWG TrueConvert software included, built on the same viewing
engine as AutoCAD software.
The freeware Autodesk Design Review software adds a possibility to open DWG files in Design
Review to take advantage of measure and markup capabilities, sheet set organization, and
status tracking.
DraftSight is zero-cost CAD software from Dassault Systemes that lets users create,
edit and view DWG files.
There are no open source viewers for DWG files, although the LibreDWG project is working on
free software libraries for DWG.
See also AutoCAD DXF
CAD Comparison of CAD software
Comparison of CAD, CAM and CAE file viewers Design Web Format
OpenDWG DraftSight
References
External links .dwg at DMOZ
.DWG File Extension LibreDWG is a work in progress developing
Free Software libraries to support DWG files.
.DWG File Examples