Takeaways -
Minerva Surgical v. Hologic limits the application of assignor estoppel, which bars inventor-assignors from challenging patents they obtained.
If a buyer-assignee later expands the scope of its claim, under...more
In October 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that could affect the viability of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) as well as countless PTAB patentability decisions — past, present and future....more
On April 20, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 7-2 decision in Thryv, Inc. v. Click-To-Call Technologies, LP, ruling Section 314(d) of the America Invents Act (AIA) precludes the appeal of a decision by the Patent Trial...more
4/21/2020
/ § 314(d) ,
§ 315(b) ,
§314(a) ,
§314(b) ,
America Invents Act ,
Appeals ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dissenting Opinions ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Judicial Review ,
Non-Appealable Decisions ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
SCOTUS ,
Thryv Inc v Click-To-Call Technologies LP ,
Time-Barred Claims ,
Vacated
In a pair of decisions issued on April 24, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the constitutionality of and the appropriate practice for inter partes review. The 7-2 majority opinion in Oil States Energy Services, LLC v....more
5/1/2018
/ America Invents Act ,
Article III ,
Chevron Deference ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Final Written Decisions ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
New Guidance ,
Oil States Energy Services v Greene's Energy Group ,
Patents ,
Public Rights Doctrine ,
SAS Institute Inc. v Iancu ,
SCOTUS ,
Seventh Amendment ,
USPTO
In an 8-0 decision issued on May 22, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court, in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC, restricted the available venues for patent litigation claims under 28 U.S.C. § 1400. Under Section...more
5/25/2017
/ Forum Shopping ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Personal Jurisdiction ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Principal Place of Business ,
SCOTUS ,
State of Incorporation ,
State of Residency ,
TC Heartland LLC v Kraft Foods ,
Technology Sector ,
Venue
Nearly three years have passed since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on patent eligibility in Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int'l. The decision, which ushered in an unprecedented wave of cases invalidating...more
4/19/2017
/ Claim Construction ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Computer-Related Inventions ,
Federal Rule 12(b)(6) ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Patent Assertion Entities ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 101
In a 7-1 decision issued on March 21, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court held in SCA Hygiene Products Aktiebolag v. First Quality Baby Products, LLC that laches cannot be invoked as a defense against a claim for damages in a patent...more
3/22/2017
/ Appeals ,
Damages ,
Equitable Estoppel ,
Ex Partes Reexamination ,
Laches ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Petrella v. MGM ,
Prior Art ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Reversal ,
SCA Hygiene Products Aktiebolag v First Quality Baby Products ,
SCOTUS ,
Statute of Limitations
In a 7-0 decision issued on February 22, 2017, in Life Technologies Corp. v. Promega Corp., the U.S. Supreme Court held that exporting a single component of a multicomponent invention for combination abroad does not give rise...more
2/26/2017
/ Appeals ,
Component Parts Doctrine ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Exports ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Jury Verdicts ,
Life Technologies Corp v Promega Corp ,
Manufacturer Liability ,
Motion to Set Aside the Verdict ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Popular ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Supply Contracts
In a unanimous decision issued on June 13, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Halo Electronics, Inc. v. Pulse Electronics, Inc., relaxed the standard for awards of enhanced damages under 35 U.S.C. § 284. In so ruling, the Court...more
6/14/2016
/ 35 U.S.C. § 284 ,
Abuse of Discretion ,
Enhanced Damages ,
Halo v Pulse ,
Highmark ,
Judicial Discretion ,
Octane Fitness v. ICON ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
SCOTUS ,
Standard of Proof ,
Standard of Review ,
Stryker v Zimmer ,
Willful Infringement
When are Internet-based business methods eligible for patent protection under 35 U.S.C. § 101? In 2014, the Supreme Court laid the groundwork for the Federal Circuit to grapple with this question, when it decided Alice Corp....more
In a 7-2 decision issued on January 20, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. v. Sandoz, Inc., held that the Federal Circuit must review factual findings underlying claim construction for clear...more
In a unanimous decision issued on June 19, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court found that patent claims for managing risk in a financial transaction were drawn to an abstract idea that was patent-ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101....more
6/20/2014
/ Alice Corporation ,
America Invents Act ,
CLS Bank ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Mayo v. Prometheus ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Risk Mitigation ,
SCOTUS ,
USPTO
In a decision issued on June 2, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court lowered the bar for parties arguing patent indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. § 112. Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc., No. 13-369 (U.S. June 2, 2014). The...more
In a unanimous decision issued on June 2, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court significantly tightened the requirements for proving inducement of infringement of method patent claims under 35 U.S.C. § 271(b). Limelight Networks, Inc....more
In companion decisions issued on April 29, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court significantly relaxed the standard for an award of attorneys’ fees under 35 U.S.C. § 285. Octane Fitness, LLC v. ICON Health & Fitness, LLC, ___ U.S. ___...more
With key provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA) taking effect and a host of controversial U.S. Supreme Court decisions, 2013 was another active year for intellectual property law. Big cases and big changes will continue...more
1/28/2014
/ America Invents Act ,
AMP v Myriad ,
Copyright ,
DNA ,
FTC v Actavis ,
Genetic Materials ,
Human Genes ,
Innovation Act ,
Myriad ,
Patent Reform ,
Patent Trolls ,
Patents ,
SCOTUS ,
Trademarks
On June 13, 2013, the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Assoc. for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., U.S., No. 12–398 (Myriad). In a unanimous opinion, the Court held that a naturally occurring DNA...more