Bartlit Beck Wins Enhanced Damages For Willful Patent Infringement Against Ford Motor Company
In December 2008, Mark Ferguson led the Bartlit Beck trial team (including Hamilton Hill) that won a $23 million patent infringement verdict against Ford Motor Company on behalf of individual inventor Jacob Krippelz, Sr. Krippelz is the 77-year old Chief Executive Officer of Jake's, Inc., a machining and equipment refurbishing concern in Aurora, Illinois. The Krippelz patent, on an automotive lighting system used widely in exterior rear view mirrors, was issued in 1991.
Earlier this year, after extensive briefing and oral argument, the Court found that Ford willfully infringed Mr. Krippelz's patent.
Today the Court awarded enhanced damages and prejudgment interest to bring the total award to approximately $56MM. The Court also awarded Krippelz his costs; and Krippelz will be asking the Court to declare this case "exceptional" and award attorneys' fees.