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ARTICLE · 20 MARCH 2002

It´s Hard Enough to Make Boats

Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
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United StatesIntellectual Property
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By W. Scott Harders

Originally published in November 2001

Earlier this year, a ruling by an appeals court designated to hear appeals on patent matters, seemed to allow executives at Regal Marine Industries to breathe easier. The ruling announced that Regal did not infringe a planing boat hull patent held by Harry Schoell. That's right, a patent suit over a boat hull.

Background

Mr. Schoell filed a patent application in 1990 claiming as his invention a planing boat hull that had two parts - a front hull and a rear hull connected by a stepped offset. He described the front hull as including a V-shaped keel extending from the bow to the stepped offset. The rear hull was described as including a generally flat aft keel.

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