Harley-Davidson sued for patent infringement

A lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Los Angeles against Harley-Davidson for infringement of a patent for providing multi-colored lighting for speedometers and tachometers.

Inventor and patent attorney Frank Weyer filed the suit. Weyer successfully sued Ford two years ago under the same patent for using a multi-colored instrument lighting system in the 2005 Ford Mustang.

The suit seeks damages and an injunction prohibiting Harley from selling any more of its combination speedometer/tachometer with “color-matched lighting,” a $499 option available for some 2007 model year Harleys.

After Weyer filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against Ford, the company agreed to take a license under the patent. The terms of the Ford license are confidential.

Weyer intends to use the same strategy he used against Ford in his new suit against Harley-Davidson, he said.

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