Failure to consider evidence of good faith leads to reversal of inequitable conduct finding In a decision last week, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's finding of no infringement and invalidity for obviousness, and reversed the district court's finding of unenforceability due to inequitable conduct.The Federal Circuit, citing KSR, noted that an obviousness analysis can take account the inferences and creative steps that a person of ordinary skill […] Continue Reading →
Claim construction and finding of noninfringement affirmed In a decision Wednesday, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's claim construction and grant of summary judgment of non-infringement. The patent holder's proposed claim interpretation relied heavily on means-plus-function language and an embodiment in the specification not covered by the claim construction. The Federal Circuit found that the failure to use clear "means-plus-function language" […] Continue Reading →
Litigation misconduct and inequitable conduct lead to exceptional case, fees for defendant In a decision yesterday, the Federal Circuit affirmed an award of attorneys' fees for a prevailing defendant in an infringement case. The district court held the case was exceptional under § 285 because the patent holder had engaged in inequitable conduct (a finding previously affirmed), asserted frivolous claims, and engaged in litigation misconduct. The district […] Continue Reading →
Three sentences insufficient to explain why a case is exceptional In a decision yesterday, the Federal Circuit vacated an award of attorney fees under § 285. The district court only provided a three-sentence explanation as to why the case was exceptional. The Federal Circuit found this insufficient, as there was no explanation of the facts underlying the findings made by the court. As a result, […] Continue Reading →
Legal owner responsible for timely payment of maintenance fees, equitable owner out of luck In a decision yesterday, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment upholding the USPTO's denial of a request to reinstate a patent for failure to pay maintenance fees. The patentee had assigned his invention to his employer, who had subsequently allowed the patent to expire due to non-payment of the maintenance […] Continue Reading →
Partially does not include totally, judgment of noninfringement affirmed In a decision yesterday, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's claim construction and its related judgment of noninfringement. The court declined to import a meaning which went against the plain meaning of the disputed term, and stated if the patentee had intended such a meaning, it should have done so explicitly. The term at […] Continue Reading →
No lost profits when patent owned by parent but practiced by subsidiary In a decision this week, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in the damages phase of a patent infringement case denying recovery for lost profits. The patentee's wholly-owned subsidiary actually practiced the claimed invention, but the subsidiary paid a standard license royalty to the patentee for use of the invention, […] Continue Reading →
Claim construction from different case against different defendant applies in subsequent case In a decision yesterday, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's construction of a patent claim in an infringement case. However, the court vacated the district court's grant of summary judgment of noninfringement and remanded. The Federal Circuit held that a prior interpretation of the claim in a suit against a different alleged infringer required […] Continue Reading →
Second prong of declaratory judgment jurisdiction test survived MedImmune In a decision yesterday, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment of noninfringement and its related finding that the court had declaratory judgment jurisdiction. The court, for the first time since the Supreme Court's MedImmune decision, addressed the second prong of its pre-MedImmune declaratory judgment test. The court held this portion […] Continue Reading →
New appeallate counsel insufficient reason to consider arguments not raised before district court In a decision today, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's decision finding two claims of a patent anticipated. The district court, adopting a magistrate judge's Report and Recommendation, held that the claims were invalid and granted summary judgment. After retaining new counsel for the appeal, the patentee argued the prior art did not anticipate […] Continue Reading →