A Michigan federal judge has refused to disturb a jury’s $13 million award in the Ford IP Dispute $13M bid, siding with California-based tech supplier InterMotive Inc. in a heated battle over trade secrets and trademarks.
U.S. District Judge Terrence G. Berg ruled Tuesday that jurors had “substantial evidence” to conclude Ford Motor Co. misappropriated InterMotive’s proprietary “Upfitter Interface Module” technology and name, deliberately sowing consumer confusion.
The ruling came with a trio of orders: denying Ford’s request for a new trial, granting InterMotive $3 million in prejudgment interest, and awarding attorney fees in part. Judge Berg even criticized Ford’s early trademark claims as “flimsy,” rebuking the automaker for dragging a smaller rival through years of costly litigation.
How the Dispute Began
The feud dates back to 2017, when Ford accused InterMotive of improperly using its blue oval logo to market software as compatible with Ford vehicles. Those claims were later dropped, but InterMotive countered with allegations that Ford had passed along a confidential sample of its Upfitter Interface Module to another supplier, fueling the development of a competing product.
Upfitting, a niche but lucrative sector, involves customizing vehicles with add-ons like GPS, radios, sirens, or tracking devices. Court filings revealed Ford and InterMotive were targeting the same customers with strikingly similar technology.
