GM Nears Patent Settlement After Decades-Old Design Test Nixed

General Motors is close to settling LKQ Corp.'s challenge to its design patent for a front fender weeks after the Federal Circuit overruled a decades-old test used to assess whether design patents are obvious, and thus invalid.

The case was remanded to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board where GM’s counsel sought to postpone the conference schedule because “the parties are in the process of negotiating a resolution that would result in a requested termination of this proceeding,” according to emails added to the docket Friday.

LKQ, an aftermarket car-parts maker, appealed its validity challenge to the Federal Circuit after ...