Ford Gets Mixed Result in Vehicle Configuration Patent Case

Ford Motor Co. received a mixed result the Eastern District of Michigan March 27 in a patent case concerning the allegedly infringing software it uses to configure vehicles.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan upheld a special master’s determination that one of the patents challenged by Ford was directed to patent-ineligible subject matter, but reversed its determinations that Ford didn’t infringe another patent and that two others were invalid under the Patent Act’s on-sale bar.

Ford sued for a declaratory judgment that it didn’t infringe IP owned by Versata Software, Inc. related to software used to ...