" although surprisingly this confirmation did not give any detail on which patent office or how the Duck story came to its attention"

This may come as a surprise to some, but in the Netherlands certain comics are considered respectable literature and have been for a very long time. Donald Duck, Kuifje (Tintin), Olivier B Bommel and Suske en Wiske are read by people of all ages and social classes. For example Donald Duck magazine is still one of the most popular magazines for college students.