Apple Inc. v Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
786 F.3d 983 (2015)
Relevant factsFree
Apple (plaintiff) trademarked the appearance and layout of 16 specific smartphone icons but left elements like rounded edges, flat screen surfaces, and border proportions unregistered; a jury found Samsung (defendant) liable for trade-dress infringement and dilution on both registered and unregistered elements and awarded over $1 billion, and the district court upheld the verdict despite Samsung's argument that the trade dress was purely functional.
IssueFree
Whether trademark protection for trade dress is limited to physical details and designs that are not functional.
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