Holmes Group, Inc. v. Vornado Air Circulation Systems, Inc.
Holmes Group, Inc. v. Vornado Air Circulation Systems, Inc., , is a United States Supreme Court case regarding the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Background Created by an act of Congress in 1982, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is a United States court of appeals that exercises exclusive appellate jurisdiction over specific types of federal cases. This includes, among others, federal cases arising from patents and trademarks. Vornado Air Circulation Systems is a Kansas-based manufacturer of patented fans and heaters. In 1992, Vornado sued Duracraft Corporation (a competitor) claiming that they had infringed upon Vornado's trade dress. On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit found for Duracraft, holding that Vornado held no protectable trade dress rights to the design element in question. Despite the Tenth Circuit's ruling, Vornado filed a complaint in November 1999 with the United States International Trade Commission against The Holmes Group claiming infringement upon the same trade dress. Later that year, Holmes filed a suit against Vornado in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Holmes's suit sought, among other things, a declaratory judgment that its