Another Remand in the Eight-Year Columbia Sportswear Saga

By: Tracy-Gene G. Durkin, Deirdre M. Wells, and Cristen Corry

On Friday, September 15, 2023, the Federal Circuit issued its latest opinion in the design patent dispute between Columbia Sportswear North America, Inc. (“Columbia”) and Seirus Innovative Accessories, Inc. (“Seirus”).[1] This is the second time the Federal Circuit reviewed a finding regarding infringement in the case — and the second time the Federal Circuit reversed and remanded.

Over eight and a half years ago — on January 12, 2015 — Columbia sued Seirus claiming that Seirus’s HeatWave products infringe Columbia’s U.S. Patent No. D657,093 for “Heat Reflective Material.” The patent claims “[t]he ornamental design of a heat reflective material, as shown and described.”[2] The design claimed in the ‘093 patent and Seirus’s accused HeatWave design are reproduced below.[3]

[1] See Columbia Sportswear N. Am. Inc., v. Seirus Innovative Accessories Inc., Nos. 2021-2299 and 2021-2338, (Fed. Cir. Sept. 15, 2023) (“Columbia II”).

[2] Id. at 2.

[3] Id. at 3.