Patent litigation in the auto industry dates back to the first days of cars. Indeed, some commentators now characterize patent attorney George Selden (1846-1922) as the first “patent troll.”
Selden filed an application for what he called a “road engine” in 1879. According to court records, he worked to delay the issuance of his patent for 16 years while the fledgling auto industry was getting off the ground. The patent finally issued in 1895, as U.S. Patent No. 549,160, “Road Engine” or a “car.” Selden had never built the car, although some say that was due to a lack of capital to do so.
