Showing posts with label Patent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patent. Show all posts

Federal Circuit: VLSI Technology LLC v. Intel Corporation

Substantial evidence for finding of infringement. In determining similar function under the doctrine of equivalents, schematic diagrams of functions are less important than actual function-location maps, in addition to the determination of whether the differences in the allocations of functionalities are substantial.  Abuse of discretion to base the damages calculation on the results of a scientific test that considered both infringing and non-infringing functions.

Denial of motion to amend the answer was an abuse of discretion given diligent pursuit of claim, and given that the question of whether affiliates are bound by a contract under the state law identified in the contract is not a black-letter rule, and would require further development.

VLSI Technology LLC v. Intel Corporation

Federal Circuit: In Re The Board of Trustees

 

Claim is ineligible for patent, because it recites abstract mathematical concepts without practical technological improvements beyond increasing statistical accuracy, and, taken as a whole, is embodied as well-known, routine and conventional actions of performing an algorithm on a computer.

(Perhaps.  We don't know many things, but we especially don't know Patents.)


 In Re The Board of Trustees

Federal Circuit: Mylan v. Janssen

 

As the general statutory grant of jurisdiction to review decisions is modified by a specific provision making the refusal to institute IPR nonreviewable, courts have no jurisdiction over the Director's delegated decision not to institute proceedings.  Since the APA does not in itself create jurisdiction, an administrative challenge is similarly unavailable.

Even though Mandamus challenging the proceeding only runs from the Federal Circuit, as the sole court with sufficient prospective jurisdiction, as there is neither a clear and undisputable right to relief nor a colorable constitutional claim, nor historical precedent sufficient to justify a Due Process claim, the writ is unavailable here.


Mylan v. Janssen

Federal Circuit: In Re: Board of Trustees

 

Claims are patent ineligible mathematical algorithms, basic processes fully disclosed in prior art, and with no real mechanical or computing architecture correlative.


In re: Board of Trustees

Federal Circuit: Edgewell v. Mnuchkin

 

Court erred in assigning the term the meaning it served in the description of the function of the device within an unclaimed surrounding mechanism.

The doctrine of equivalents is not a binary question of vitiation, but a reasoned inquiry that looks to the degree that the second device performs the same function, in the same way, and achieves the same result.

Again, perhaps.  Not really at all Patent-savvy in this quarter.


Edgewell v. Mnuchkin

Federal Circuit: Uniloc v. Facebook

 

Judicial review of a decision on estoppel during the institution and pendency of an IPR is appropriate, because the estoppel statute applies to the duration of the action, not just the decision to institute proceedings.

Board correctly did not estop the party's claim, since there was no evidence of actual control and direction between the interested party and the litigating party, and the pre-existing relationship was not one that suggested coordinated action.

Given the plain language of the statute, the claim that the interested party was not estopped from raising was fair, as that specific claim had not arisen in the earlier action.

Substantial evidence for Board's obviousness and disclosure determinations.

(Perhaps.  We don't know many things, but we especially don't know Patents.  As always, entertainment value only.)


Uniloc v. Facebook

Ninth Circuit: FTC v. Qualcomm Inc.

 

Anticompetitive effects of a supplier's monopoly behaviour on downstream adjacent markets are beyond the reach of Sherman Act rule of reason analysis, as the relevant market is different.

Refusal to deal horizontally with another supplier is outside of S2 where there is no indication that the dealing was profitable for the deft, there was a valid business reason to end the dealing, and the refusal to deal wasn't targeted.

Absent intentional deception,  breach of contract to deal horizontally with other suppliers doesn't create a monopoly harm unless a harm to competition - as opposed to competitors - is proved.

Patent royalty rates different than the current market value of the technology are not inherently anticompetitive under antitrust law.

As the products of the supplier's rivals inherently embody some of the packaged patents, the supplier's licensing of the downstream use of its terchnology within its rivals products is not an inherently anticompetitive surcharge on its rivals products.  Subsequent low but non-predatory pricing of its own units is also not an inherently anticompetitive behaviour.

A supplier's requirement that a downstream manufacturer commit to a license for products both supplied by the supplier and its rivals does not distort the area of effective competition; any unfair pricing of the license sounds in patent law, not antitrust.

Even if the exclusive dealing contracts that the supplier claimed were merely volume contracts in fact substantially foreclosed competition in the relevant markets, past harms do not justify a prospective injunction.  And there were no viable competitors at the time.


 FTC v. Qualcomm Inc.




Fifth Circuit: ATOM Instrument Corporation, et al v. Petroleum Analyzer

 

District Court's interpretation of the terms of the arbitral agreement enjoining use of the technology and methods in a patent application is reviewed for plain error, as the reviewing court must make factual determinations as to whether the uses are sufficiently similar.

District court's restatement of the arbitral award did not substantially alter the law of the case.

Fees incurred prior to the filing of claim can be recovered under a fee-shifting statute where they are an attempt to resolve a threatened claim.

Court reasonably found fees to be nonsegregable as they generally advanced the litigation position.

State rules requiring party to seek contingent appellate fee award in the trial court are procedural, so the federal rule allowing award of fees by the reviewing court prevails.

ATOM Instrument Corporation, et al v. Petroleum Analyzer

Federal Circuit: Maybourn Group, LTD v. ITC


Sufficient standing to challenge agency determination where company continues to import goods possibly subject to exclusion order and has lost actual sales sue to the uncertainty over their legal status.

Discovery of prior art that would negate the patent that serves as the basis for the exclusion order is not sufficient basis for a petition against the exclusion order, as the agency's statutory powers of patent adjudication are limited to claims made by parties in formal enforcement actions.



Federal Circuit: Dupont v. Synvina

A party asserting right of statutory appeal from the patent board doesn't have to establish specific threat of infringement litigation; rather, for standing, a party must establish a controversy of sufficient immediacy and reality.  A competitor's concrete plans for present and future activity that presents a risk of infringement suffice to establish standing.

Given range disclosed in prior art, presumption of obviousness insufficiently rebutted.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-1977.Opinion.9-17-2018.pdf






First Circuit: United Food & Comm. Workers v. Novartis Pharm.

Claiming that a potentially obvious invention was in fact surprising is not a basis for invalidating the subsequent patent or holding the filing to be fraudulent -- there is no indication that the use of the word caused the patent to be awarded.  Subsequent attempt to enforce the patent rights therefore not a sham.

http://media.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/17-1714P-01A.pdf

Federal Circuit: Polara Engineering v. Campbell Corp.

The pedestrian signals were in beta, the jury was instructed correctly, the infringement was sufficiently willful, but remand for damage in light of the beta trials issue.

Reminder: Of the many things that we strikingly don't know, Patent is among the most striking.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-1974.Opinion.7-10-2018.pdf

Federal Circuit: PPC Broadband v. Director

Given the commercial success of the product (however limited) the Board should revisit the question of the obviousness of the springy-washer-thing.

(Again, we don't know many things.  We especially don't know Patent.  Entertainment purposes only, as always.)

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-1362.Opinion.7-3-2018.pdf

Federal Circuit: Adidas v. Nike

Prudential remand to consider non-instituted grounds is appropriate when those grounds were raised in the petition.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/18-1180.Motion_Panel_Order.7-2-2018.1.pdf

Federal Circuit: Fastship, LLC v. US

For purposes of the relevant patent statute, an item is manufactured when it is made to include each limitation of the thing invented and is therefore suitable for use.

As the vessel's hull and waterjets had not yet been assembled for use, there was no littoral infringement.

Court's reading of metric rather than imperial units was neither an impermissible use of extrinsic evidence nor a finding of fact -- merely a clarification.

18 million dollar typo in damages calculation corrected.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/s17-2248_opinion.pdf

Reminder:  We don't know many things, but we especially don't know Patent.  As always, entertainment purposes only.

Federal Circuit: Xitronix Corp. v. KLA - Tencor Corp.

Denial of en banc.

Dissent from denial: Where plaintiff does not allege any non-patent-law theory of harm in an antitrust suit, the circuit is not divested of jurisdiction to hear the claim, given statutory grant of jurisdiction.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/16-2746.Order.6-15-2018.1.pdf

Federal Circuit: PGS Physical v. Iancu

(Reminder: We don't know many things.  We especially don't know Patent.)

Agency decision presenting both non-instituted claims and rulings on instituted claims and grounds is sufficiently final for judicial review.

Erroneous non-institution is waiveable, and presents no sua sponte obligation in subsequent judicial review.

(Again, completely guessing here.)

Board decision on motivation to combine prior art was reasonable.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/16-2470.Opinion.6-6-2018.1.pdf