It's all too familiar to us: materials selection, process development, design and patents. But for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

Jelly and jam company Smucker's is defending its patent on its version of the classic sandwich. Smucker's claims its "Uncrustables" sandwich deserves to be patented because it uses peanut butter and crustless bread to keep the company's well-known jelly from escaping. The company has filed U.S. Patent No. 6,004,596 to defend its claim.

The company said its refinement on the lunch box standard deserves government protection because it invested in the idea and the process. But the U.S. Trademark Office does not think Smucker's really has a better design. As a result, a federal court will decide the case of the patented sandwich.

What's so special, the company said, is the way it surrounds the jelly with peanut butter to seal in the jelly and keep it from soaking into the bread. Then, the crusts are cut off and the edges are crimped together. That may not seem like such a reveloutionary idea, but to Smucker's, protecting its patent is worth millions.

"Good designers borrow; great designers steal." - Picasso

See a video on MSNBC.