From suppliers to OEMs, the automotive industry is one of the largest sources of intellectual property out there. Brooks Kushman, headquartered in metro Detroit, works in the heart of the industry and is surrounded by the research and development operations of global automakers and suppliers. Our team of experts have experience working in the automotive industry at all levels, including in-house counsel, engineering, and outside counsel, and provide key insights on trending automotive news and innovations.”

Recent Blog Posts

  • You May Be Exhausted Over Standard Essential Patents (And Not Even Know It)
    Monday, December 23, 2019

    Brooks Kushman patent litigator John LeRoy has spent nearly a decade dealing with so-called “Standard Essential Patents” (SEPs) that, according to the patent owners, are “essential” to the modems used cellular telephones, connected vehicles and other wireless devices. Patent owners are required to license their SEPs on “Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory” or “FRAND” terms, but […]

  • Nokia’s U.S. Standard Essential Patents are Exhausted Against Qualcomm Chipsets
    Friday, December 20, 2019

    Qualcomm is the world’s largest supplier of cellular modem chipsets.  Nokia holds one of the largest portfolios of patents declared “essential” to practicing the cellular modem standards, such as 3G and 4G LTE.  On July 22, 2008, to settle their respective cross-claims for patent infringement, Nokia and Qualcomm entered into a “Subscriber Equipment and Infrastructure […]

  • Advanced Materials are Driving Innovation in the Automotive Industry
    Monday, November 25, 2019

    Given increasingly stringent legal and regulatory demands on fuel economy, emission control, and vehicle safety, automakers have responded by building lighter, more efficient, and more technologically-sophisticated vehicles over the last few decades. To accomplish this feat, automakers have focused on incorporating more advanced materials, such as high strength steels, lightweight plastics, and non-ferrous alloys into their products.

  • ChargePoint Seeks Supreme Court Review of Patent Ineligibility Ruling in ChargePoint, Inc. v. SemaConnect, Inc. Litigation
    Wednesday, October 30, 2019

    On October 21, 2019, ChargePoint, Inc. (“ChargePoint”) filed a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari with the United States Supreme Court. ChargePoint is requesting that the Supreme Court overturn the Federal Circuit’s decision earlier this year to uphold a district court’s dismissal of all claims based on patent ineligibility under 35 USC § 101 in […]

  • Waymo to Commercialize LiDAR Intellectual Property
    Monday, July 15, 2019

    At the heart of self-driving and autonomous technology are LiDAR sensors that use laser light to accurately detect objects nearby.  Many consider LiDAR to be an important piece of technology for self-driving cars but is currently cost prohibitive for mass-consumer use. Waymo, a business coming out of Google’s driverless car project, recently announced that it […]