They may be the unsung heroes of machinery—barely visible, routinely overlooked—but don’t let their size fool you. Springs, seals, and fasteners have sparked some of the most vicious intellectual property battles in the history of product design.
When it comes to IP, the smallest parts often cause the biggest headaches.
The $0.03 Screw That Caused a $30 Million Lawsuit
Think screws aren’t sexy? Ask the aerospace engineer who spent a year in litigation over one. Or the startup that had to retool its entire prototype after discovering that a “standard” gasket shape was under patent.
These component-level features—tolerances, threading, materials, locking mechanisms—are routinely patented, especially in high-stakes industries like medical devices, defense, and automotive. But because they’re tiny, people assume they’re fair game. That’s when the legal grenades start flying.
Where the Real Fight Begins
It’s one thing to design a better spring. It’s another to prove it didn’t infringe on a dozen prior patents. When a company is accused of IP theft over a component they barely modified, the courtroom becomes less about intention and more about interpretation.
Enter: an IP expert witness (such as THIS one). These professionals are the decoding machines behind the legal arguments. They evaluate technical schematics, manufacturing variations, and patent language so dry it could absorb engine oil. Their job is to determine whether a design tweak is innovation—or imitation wearing a lab coat.
They’ve become indispensable in a world where even a slight change in thread pitch or spring rate can mean millions in damages.
You Think It’s Standard? So Does Everyone Else.
The trouble with “common” parts is that everyone uses them. But “everyone” doesn’t mean “free for all.” Just because a seal looks generic doesn’t mean it’s outside the protective umbrella of a utility or design patent. In fact, many of these so-called commodity parts are protected by extremely narrow patents with laser-specific claims.
As the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has emphasized in its education initiatives, many engineers accidentally infringe simply by assuming the part is “too small to matter.”
Universities like MIT now offer IP education as part of their mechanical engineering programs—for good reason.
Tiny Parts, Huge Stakes
The moral of the story? If it moves, seals, twists, or holds two things together, someone has probably tried to patent it. And someone else might sue you for using it.
So before you dismiss that spring as “standard,” make sure your legal team—and your IP expert—agree.
Because in the world of fasteners, even a tiny screw-up can be fatal.