Ford Motor Company's intellectual property subsidiary sued aftermarket parts distributor Empire Auto Parts in October 2024, alleging that replacement body panels and lamps sold for F-150 pickups and Bronco Sport SUVs infringe five U.S. design patents, seeking a court order to prevent further sales and financial compensation.
- Ford Global Technologies filed the lawsuit on October 26 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas against Empire Auto Parts
- The case involves five design patents covering grilles for 2015–2017 F-150s, fenders and hoods for 2015–2020 F-150s, and headlamps and tail lamps for 2021–2024 Bronco Sports
- Ford identified six replacement parts allegedly sold by Empire in 2025 and 2026, including grilles, lamp assemblies, fenders, and hoods
- This dispute reflects broader concerns about automakers restricting independently supplied collision replacement parts through design patent protections
- A 2024 Federal Circuit decision in the LKQ–GM dispute changed the framework for assessing design patent protection, though it does not automatically invalidate existing patents
Ford Motor Company’s intellectual property subsidiary has sued aftermarket distributor Empire Auto Parts, alleging that replacement body panels and lamps sold for F-150 pickups and Bronco Sport SUVs infringe five U.S. design patents.
Michigan's Ford Global Technologies filed the complaint Oct. 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. It seeks a court order preventing further infringement, financial compensation and a jury trial.
The patents cover grilles for 2015–2017 F-150s, fenders and hoods for 2015–2020 F-150s and headlamps and tail lamps for 2021–2024 Bronco Sports.
In the complaint, Ford’s lawyers identify six replacement parts allegedly sold by Empire in 2025 and 2026. They include a grille, a headlamp assembly, a tail lamp assembly, two fenders and a hood. The filing includes comparisons between the patented designs and the replacement parts.
Empire is a Totowa, N.J.-based aftermarket parts distributor with a distribution centre in Dallas. Ford’s lawyers allege that sales through that location establish grounds for bringing the case in Texas.
The lawsuit prompted Edward Salamy, executive director of the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA), to call for financial support for the association’s legal efforts and the CAR Coalition’s work on repair competition.
“Addressing individual legal disputes takes resources, while achieving lasting policy changes requires consistent engagement with lawmakers and other stakeholders,” Salamy wrote in an Oct. 29 statement.
Empire is an ABPA member. Salamy linked the case to broader disputes over automakers’ use of design patents to restrict independently supplied collision replacement parts, including General Motors’ legal actions earlier this year.
He also pointed to the U.S. Federal Circuit’s 2024 decision in the LKQ–GM dispute, which changed the framework for assessing whether a design is too obvious to qualify for patent protection. That ruling does not automatically invalidate existing patents, he noted.
The complaint also identifies additional products and patents that Ford’s lawyers could seek to add to the litigation. Those additional patents are not all part of the five infringement claims currently asserted.
The allegations against Empire have not been decided.
