It’s been several months since we surveyed top automotive executives and insiders on the major legal issues facing the industry for our 2023 Automotive Trends Report.

As the automotive world continues to evolve and navigate a shifting legal landscape, we look at some of the major themes driving it forward… and the ones that might be in the rearview mirror.

Today, Thomas Moga and Jennifer Fraser dive into the major Intellectual Property issues driving the automotive industry.

Trending up:

Non-traditional technology suppliers

As the digital revolution continues to disrupt the auto industry, manufacturers are increasingly collaborating with firms outside the industry who are better equipped to meet the demand for enhanced software and other programming and control capabilities. The result? The normally cooperative environment between OEMs is seeing a fracture, as these less-traditional tech suppliers tend to be more litigious than the OEMs who learned long ago that litigation often costs more than it benefits.

Trending down:

High-end vehicle production in the U.S.

Automakers around the world are under pressure to retain and hire fewer workers as they endeavor to save money in order to finance the production of electric vehicles. As product sales become more globalized and manufacturing more decentralized, luxury brands in particular are shifting operations and aggressively establishing trademark and patent portfolios overseas. However, this shift may come with a caveat, and some believe it’s led to an influx of counterfeit or unauthorized products entering the U.S.