Apple, Inc., files a suit in a federal district court against Samsung Electronics Company, alleging that Samsung’s Galaxy mobile phones and tablets infringe on Apple’s patents. Apple claims that the features of these phones and tablets violate all of Apple’s design patents on the features of its iPhones and iPads.

What is patent infringement? The tort of patent infringement exists when a firm makes, uses, or sells another’s patented design, product, or process without the patent owner’s ______________.

Can patent infringement exist even though not all features of a design or parts of an invention are copied?

______________. Only with respect to a patented process must all of the steps, or their equivalent, be copied to constitute infringement.