In a decision last week, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment of invalidity of a patent and summary judgment to the defendant on the Plaintiff's false advertising claims. The defendant asserted the patent was invalid as obvious and by virtue of a prior public use.  The district court held a genuine issue of fact existed regarding whether the public use was experimental, but granted summary judgment of obviousness.  The court also granted summary judgment on the false advertising claims.

The Federal Circuit agreed the patent was invalid, but on the grounds of public use.  Specifically, the court held there was no genuine issue of material fact that the public use both embodied all the claim limitations and was not for experimental use.  While the purpose of the use was ostensibly for purposes of durability testing, the court observed that the results of the "test" (which was performed in 1989) were not available until almost a year after the patent application was filed in 1992.  As such, even if the use was for purposes of testing durability, it could not, as a matter of law, be experimental use, because it was not for purposes of the patent application.

The court also affirmed the summary judgment on the Lanham Act false advertising claims, agreeing with the district court there was no evidence the two challenged statements were false.

More detail of Clock Spring, L.P. v. Wrapmaster, Inc. after the jump.

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In a recent decision, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's ruling in favor of AstraZeneca, holding that the generic drug manufacturers Apotex and Impax Laboratories infringed patents for the popular heartburn medication Prilosec^® (generic form omeprazole) in filing abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs).  The Federal Circuit previously addressed these patents in the context of other defendants in a decision blogged about here.

The major issue in this appeal was whether the clinical trials of omeprazole constituted an invalidating public use under § 102(b).  The district court held the clinical trials were experimental use, and the formulation was not ready for patenting at the time of the trials.  Accordingly, the district court held the public use bar of § 102(b) did not apply.  The Federal Circuit affirmed the district court's holding on the basis that the invention was not ready for patenting at the time, as the clinical trials were necessary for the inventors to know that the invention would work for its intended purpose, a necessary predicate to a finding of public use.

The court also addressed a potpourri of other issues, including anticipation, obviousness and the permissible extension of a patent term due to prolonged delay for FDA testing and approval.  The Federal Circuit affirmed the district court's finding on these issues, ending a decade long series of litigation over the popular heartburn medication.

More on In re Omeprazole Patent Litig. after the jump.

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In a decision Wednesday, the Federal Circuit affirmed-in-part, vacated-in-part, and reversed-in-part a district court's decision regarding two patents.  The district court held the broadest claims of both patents invalid and not infringed, and dismissed claims of inequitable conduct relating to the patents.

The Federal Circuit affirmed with respect to one patent, but vacated and reversed with respect to the other.  Regarding the first patent, the court held there was no genuine issue of material fact that a product embodying all the claim limitations was in public use before the critical date.  There was also no genuine issue of material fact that the defendants were licensed under the patent, as the license grant was not limited to use with the plaintiff's products.

With regard to the second patent, however, the court held the defendant's motion for summary judgment of invalidity was not properly supported, and vacated the finding of invalidity.  Further, there were insufficient findings in the district court's summary judgment order to support a finding of noninfringement of the second patent.  The court also reinstated the defendant's claims of inequitable conduct, as not all claims of the patents had been found invalid, making an additional finding of unenforceability not moot.

More detail of Zenith Electronics Corp. v. PDI Commc'n Sys., Inc. after the jump.

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In a decision today, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's decision setting aside the portion of a jury verdict awarding convoyed sales to a patentee, and sustaining the portion of the verdict finding the alleged infringer had not shown invalidity via public use.  There was no evidence of a functional relationship between the patented and unpatented goods, instead the two were sold together as a matter of "convenience or business advantage."  As such, damages for convoyed sales were unavailable.

Regarding the alleged public use, the court held that the absence of a written confidentiality agreement did not mandate the conclusion that the pre-critical date uses were public.  Instead, based on the circumstances, it was proper for the jury to imply an "understanding of confidentiality."  The pre-critical date uses were for a select group of individuals and involved a series of evolving prototypes, permitting the jury to conclude that there was no invalidating public use.

More detail of Am. Seating Co. v. USSC Group, Inc. after the jump.

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In a decision last week, the Federal Circuit upheld a district court's decision that a case or controversy existed providing subject matter jurisdiction and that the patent was invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) based on a public use more than a year before the patent's priority date.  A licensee's decision to stop royalty payments combined with a threat to pursue legal action in response created a sufficient case or controversy support declaratory judgment jurisdiction.

Further, there was sufficient corroboration that a public use occurred more than a year before the patent's priority date, between the testimony of several witnesses and various documents that presented a "coherent and convincing story."

More detail of Adenta GmbH v. Am. Orthodontics Corp. after the jump.

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In a decision today, the Federal Circuit reversed a district court's finding of invalidity of two patents based on the public use bar of 35 U.S.C. § 102(b).  A product capable of embodying the claimed inventions was disclosed to several individuals, including potential investors, before the critical date of the patents.  The court nevertheless found no public use because the product, an ergonomic keyboard entry device, was never actually used to enter data into a computer other than for testing.  

The court, however, affirmed the district court's claim construction and its summary judgment of noninfringement, so the patentee's victory was somewhat hollow.

More details of Motionless Keyboard Co. v. Microsoft Corp. after the jump.

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