Publications & Media

Federal Circuit Court Decisions For Week Ending July 26, 2019

Download a PDF of this piece

Automotive Body Parts Association v. Ford Global Technologies, LLC, No. 2018-1613 (July 23, 2019) (precedential 3-0); Patent No. D489,299 and D501,685

Key point(s):

  • The aesthetic appeal of a design to consumers is inadequate to render a design functional even when the particular design is chosen to match other parts of a whole.
  • Principles of patent exhaustion and repair and reconstruction apply to both design and utility patents.
  • The aesthetic functionality doctrine of trademark law does not apply to design patents.