SME Steel Contractors, Inc. v. Seismic Bracing Company, LLC, decided July 23, 2025

This nonprecedential United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit opinion details the affirmation of a district court's summary judgment in favor of Seismic Bracing Co., LLC and Andrew Hinchman against SME Steel Contractors, Inc. and Core-Brace, LLC. The case involved multiple claims brought by SME Steel, including patent infringement related to buckling-restrained braces (BRBs), false advertising and false association under the Lanham Act, and copyright infringement concerning technical drawings. The appeals court upheld the lower court's finding that Seismic Bracing's BRBs did not infringe the patent due to the absence of a required "air gap," and that SME Steel failed to establish causal connection for injury in its Lanham Act claims or nexus for profits in its copyright claim, ultimately affirming the summary judgment on all challenged aspects. Case summary: https://www.cafcnewsbriefs.com/post/sme-steel-contractors-inc-v-seismic-bracing-company-llc-decided-july-23-2025