UNITED STATES: Federal Circuit Agrees with PTAB on Anticipation and Obviousness of GM’s Design Patents

LKQ sought to invalidate GM’s U.S. design patents for a “vehicle front skid bar” (D855,508) and a “vehicle front fender” (D797,625) as anticipated or obvious in separate proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

The U.S. Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB’s finding that the challenged patents were neither anticipated nor obvious. LKQ Corporation, Keystone Automotive Industries Inc. v. GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Nos. 21-2348 and 22-1253 (Fed. Cir. 2023).