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''Bonito Boats, Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats, Inc.'', 489 U.S. 141 (1989), is a decision of the United States Supreme Court holding a state anti-plug molding law preempted because it partially duplicated and therefore interfered with the balance Congress had struck by federal patent law. The decision reaffirmed the Supreme Court’s earlier decision in ''Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Stiffel Co.'',〔376 U.S. 225 (1964).〕 which held a state unfair competition law preempted on the same ground. ==Background== Bonito Boats developed a hull design for a fiberglass recreational boat and marketed it as the "Bonito 5VBR." The manufacturing process involved creating a hardwood model that was then sprayed with fiberglass to create a mold. The mold then served to produce the finished fiberglass boats for sale. No patent application was filed to protect the utilitarian or design aspects of the hull or the manufacturing process by which the finished boats were produced.〔489 U.S. at 144〕 After the Bonito 5VBR had been on the market for six years, the Florida Legislature enacted a "plug molding" statute that prohibits the use of a direct molding process to duplicate unpatented boat hulls, and forbids the knowing sale of hulls so duplicated. Bonito Boats then filed an action in a Florida Circuit Court, alleging that Thunder Craft Boats had violated the statute by using the direct molding process to duplicate the Bonito 5VBR fiberglass hull and by knowingly selling such duplicates. Bonito Boats sought damages, injunctive relief, and an award of attorney's fees under the Florida law.〔489 U.S. at 144-45.〕 The Circuit Court granted Thunder Craft's s motion to dismiss the complaint on the ground that the statute conflicted with federal patent law, and was therefore invalid under the Supremacy Clause of the Federal Constitution. The Florida Court of Appeals and the Florida Supreme Court affirmed.〔489 U.S. at 145.〕 The Federal Circuit had reached a contrary result in ''Interpart Corp. v. Italia'',〔777 F.2d 678 (Fed. Cir. 1985)〕 upholding a California law prohibiting plug molding. The Supreme Court granted ''certiorari'' to resolve the conflict.〔489 U.S. at 144.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bonito Boats, Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats, Inc.」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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