Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Stiffel Co.
United States Supreme Court
376 U.S. 225 (1964)
Relevant factsFree
After Stiffel's (plaintiff) pole-lamp patents were found invalid for lack of novelty, Sears (defendant) began selling a nearly identical, cheaper lamp; despite invalidating the patents, the lower courts still enjoined Sears under Illinois unfair-competition law based on the lamps' identical design and likelihood of consumer confusion.
IssueFree
Whether a state may punish a party for copying a product that is unprotected by patent or copyright.