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GM fender fight with LKQ continues to push boundaries of US design patent law

By Melissa Ritti ( July 1, 2025, 17:59 GMT | Comment) -- A federal judge in Illinois has reiterated that a design patent can cover a component of a larger product under US Supreme Court precedent but said it will be up to a jury to decide whether General Motors triggered the public use bar when soliciting feedback on its fender design. The legal battle between the automaker and LKQ Corp., a provider of aftermarket car parts, has already generated a new test in the US for assessing design patent obviousness — one GM was unable to satisfy on summary judgment.A declaratory judgment action over the front fender design of various General Motors automobiles is moving forward in Michigan following a rejection on summary judgment of an LKQ Corp.-led challenge to patentability....

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