Ford Motor Co. won a bar to U.S. imports of copycat grilles, headlamps and other parts for its top-selling F-150 truck, Bloomberg News reported. The U.S. International Trade Commission issued an order last Wednesday to block imports of Taiwanese parts that infringe seven Ford design patents, the agency said in a statement. The decision is subject to review by President Bush, Bloomberg said. Ford introduced a new F-150 design in September 2003, and Taiwan-made parts copies were "flooding the U.S. market" within two years, Ford said in the ITC complaint. Parts covered by the order include grilles, headlights, bumpers, side-view mirrors and taillights. The order is to last until the expiration of the design patents, which last 14 years, Bloomberg said. The ITC issued a so-called general exclusion order directed at Keystone Automotive Industries Inc., Pomona, Calif.; U.S. Autoparts Network Inc., Carson, Calif.; and Taiwanese parts makers Gordon Auto Body Parts Co., Y.C.C. Parts Manufacturing Co., TYC Brother Industrial Co. and Depo Auto Parts Ind. Co. L&MT
