Bonito Boats, Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats, Inc.

Bonito Boats (plaintiff) designed a novel, useful boat-hull design but never sought a patent, and marketed boats using it. Florida then enacted a statute prohibiting the copying of boat hulls by 'direct molding' (using an existing hull as a mold to make copies). Bonito sued Thunder Craft Boats (defendant) under that statute for copying its hull design. Thunder Craft moved to dismiss, arguing federal patent law preempted the state statute. The trial court dismissed, and the state appellate and supreme courts affirmed; Bonito obtained certiorari.

Whether a state law may prohibit the copying of an unpatented product design without being preempted by the federal patent laws.