Assertions of infringment at trade show sufficient to confer personal jurisdiction in DJ action In a recent decision, the Federal Circuit reversed a district court's order dismissing a case for lack of personal jurisdiction. The plaintiff brought a declaratory judgment action against the defendant patent holder in Washington. After sending a letter accusing the plaintiff of infringing two patents, the patent holder attempted to get the plaintiff's display removed […] Continue Reading →
Improper revival cannot be raised as grounds for invalidity in an infringement action In a decision yesterday, the Federal Circuit reversed a district court's summary judgment of invalidity. The district court held that the application that led to the patent-in-suit was abandoned, and the USPTO improperly revived it, rendering the patent invalid. The applicant missed the 30-month PCT national phase deadline by one day, but successfully petitioned to […] Continue Reading →
Seventh Circuit: Several likelihood of confusion factors favored plaintiff, no summary judgment The Seventh Circuit recently reversed a district court's summary judgment for the defendant in a trademark infringement case. The district court held no reasonable fact finder could find the marks likely to be confused.On appeal, the Seventh Circuit reminded us that the test for likelihood of confusion is not simply whether consumers will confuse two […] Continue Reading →
Seventh Circuit reverses trademark damages award in default judgment because wrong standard applied The Seventh Circuit recently reversed the amount of damages in a district court's entry of default judgment in a trademark infringement dispute. At issue was whether the Plaintiff was entitled to additional relief on the grounds that the district court applied the wrong standard to its claim for an accounting of profits. The district court […] Continue Reading →
En banc Federal Circuit scraps point of novelty test for design patent infringement In an en banc decision this morning, the Federal Circuit has unanimously held that the "point of novelty" test for design patent infringement should no longer be applied. As stated by the court: [W]e hold that the "point of novelty" test should no longer be used in the analysis of a claim of design patent […] Continue Reading →
Disclosure of gene from one bacterial source cannot support claims to gene from any bacterial source In a recent decision, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment of non-infringement and invalidity of various claims of three patents. The district court held no genuine issue of fact existed regarding noninfringement or invalidity under the written description requirement. The patents related to DNA polymerases, and the claims at issue […] Continue Reading →
Prior court decision of no invalidity based on prior art reference doesn’t bar reexamination The Federal Circuit recently construed the scope of the revised reexamination statute, 35 U.S.C. § 303, specifically what is required for a "substantial new question of patentability." In this case, the relevant reference was cited during the initial examination of the application that led to the patent under reexamination, but as a supporting reference. The […] Continue Reading →
Demonstration of product at trade show didn’t meet all claim limitations; no personal jurisdiction In a decision Tuesday, the Federal Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a patent infringement claim for lack of personal jurisdiction. The alleged infringer showed the allegedly infringing product at a trade show in DC, which led the plaintiff to file suit there. The district court dismissed, holding the defendant had not actually committed an infringing […] Continue Reading →
Patent claims not at issue at trial can’t be found invalid, even if mentioned in complaint In a recent decision, the Federal Circuit reversed much of a district court's finding of willful infringement of a plaintiff's patents, tortious interference with the plaintiff's business relationships, and invalidity of the defendant's patents. Regarding the willful infringement, the Federal Circuit determined that the district court had improperly interpreted the claims of the plaintiff's patents-in-suit […] Continue Reading →
Covenant not to sue removes jurisdiction despite lingering Hatch-Waxman exclusivity issues In a recent decision, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's decision involving declaratory judgment jurisdiction in the context of abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) and a related covenant-not-to-sue involving one patent at issue. The court affirmed a covenant-not-to-sue coupled with a stipulation of validity and enforceability removed any case or controversy required for declaratory […] Continue Reading →