Just to add to the fuel: Apple has a patent for the swipe unlock on iPhones.

I'm from Germany too BTW, Hallo. :D My point was to distinguish copyrighted creative work from specific patented ideas. Patents are usually not about how it looks, but solving a specific (mechanical) problem. And they need to be paid and approved manually. While Copyright is automatically active on creation and is about creative work and or art in example. Copyright can can be licensed to any form like MIT. Patents cannot have a specific license like this to make derivatives.

You cannot put a dent into your tv and give it an MIT license. But you can go and patent this specific "Design Patent" (the name is not that bad actually!).