The United States petitioned the Supreme Court for certiorari in Arthrex. Cert. Pet., No. 19-1434 (June 25, 2020). Two additional petitions for writs of certiorari have been filed, one by Arthrex and one by Smith & Nephew...more
In a recent summary determination order, ALJ Bullock found that complainants cannot always rely on circumstantial evidence to satisfy the Section 337 importation requirement. Certain Height-Adjustable Desk Platforms and...more
In a recent decision, ALJ Cheney determined that severance of an investigation was necessary for efficient adjudication of the issues raised in the Complaint. Certain Light-Emitting Diode Products, Systems, and Components...more
In a recent Enforcement Initial Determination, ALJ Shaw held that Sony had violated previously issued cease and desist orders (“CDOs”) and determined that the appropriate penalty was a fine of $210,134 – Sony’s net profit...more
10/18/2019
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Cease and Desist Orders ,
Exclusion Orders ,
Initial Determination (ID) ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Presidential Review ,
Section 337 ,
Sony ,
Supply Chain
The ITC recently denied a joint motion to terminate an investigation on the basis of settlement after the parties failed to meet the requisite conditions. See In re Certain Child Carriers and Components Thereof, Inv. No....more
In another example of why defaulting at the ITC can be a dangerous strategy, the ITC recently found all eight named respondents in default and concluded a general exclusion order (GEO) was the appropriate remedy. Since the...more
Shortly before the evidentiary hearing, ALJ Lord granted Complainant’s motion in limine and excluded certain testimony in the witness statement of Respondents’ expert as precluded by her ground rules governing expert...more
6/24/2019
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Computer-Related Inventions ,
Discovery ,
Evidentiary Hearings ,
Expert Testimony ,
Expert Witness ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Section 337 ,
Testimony ,
Written Descriptions
On April 2, 2019, the Commission issued an order denying Respondents’ requests to use the Early Disposition Program. Certain Data Transmission Devices, Components Thereof, Associated Software, and Products Containing the...more
On February 14, 2019, the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) issued an Initial Determination (“ID”) in the matter of Certain Road Construction Machines and Components Thereof, Inv. 337-TA-1088. In the ID, ALJ Lord...more
A recent initial determination (“ID”) from the ITC resulted in a general exclusion order for products infringing several patents belonging to Complainant National Products Inc. (“NPI”). Certain Mounting Apparatuses For...more
Under 37 C.F.R. § 42.5(d), communications with a Board member regarding a specific proceeding are not permitted “unless both parties have an opportunity to be involved in the communication.” This prohibition, however, does...more
In In re Certain Magnetic Tape Cartridges and Components Thereof, 337-TA-1058 (ITC October 2, 2018, Order), Administrative Law Judge Cheney ruled that even if a respondent is estopped from raising certain invalidity...more
The ITC recently indicated that 19 U.S.C. 1337(a)(2) does not require that a domestic industry product be sold before a complaint is filed for a domestic industry to exist. See Certain Road Construction Machines and...more
In a recent order, Administrative Law Judge Shaw denied in part the Respondents’ Motion to Supplement their Notice of Prior Art. In re Certain Strontium-Rubidium Radioisotope Infusion Systems, And Components Thereof Including...more
In Diebold Nixdorf, Inc. v. ITC, the Federal Circuit reversed the ITC’s finding of a Section 337 violation based on the ITC’s reliance on unrebutted expert testimony. Diebold, No. 17-2553 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 15, 2018). The case...more
In a recent decision, the Commission overruled the ALJ to clarify, and ultimately expand, the universe of investments that complainants can use to meet the economic prong of the domestic industry (“DI”) requirement. Certain...more
8/6/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Domestic Industry Requirement ,
Initial Determination (ID) ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Investment ,
Manufacturers ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Research and Development ,
Section 337
Late last week, the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) finalized changes to its rules, which changes were first proposed in late 2015. The new rules are expected to be published in the Federal Register in early May 2018...more
5/3/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Expedited Discovery ,
Federal Pilot Programs ,
Federal Register ,
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
New Rules ,
Patents ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Rules of Practice ,
Section 337 ,
Young Lawyers
On February 14, 2018, the Commission affirmed ALJ Pender’s initial determination of non-infringement but based on modified grounds related to the construction of the claim term “single-molecule sequencing.” In re Certain...more
Following up on a previous post, Administrative Law Judge Bullock recently granted Respondents Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Fujifilm Corporation, Fujifilm Holdings America Corporation, and Fujifilm Recording Media U.S.A.,...more
In a recent order, Administrative Law Judge Lord denied Respondents CSL Behring LLC, CSL Behring GMBH, and CSL Behring Recombinant Facility AG (“CSL Behring”) motion to compel discovery from Complainants Bioverativ Inc.,...more
1/2/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Discovery ,
Inequitable Conduct ,
Motion to Compel ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent-in-Suit ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Section 337 ,
USPTO
In two recent orders, the Commission denied respondents’ requests for entry into its Early Disposition Pilot Program (100-day Pilot Program). It has now been over two years since the ITC issued its proposed rulemaking for the...more
ALJ McNamara recently confirmed and tightened her previous order compelling depositions of certain Japanese witnesses in the United States. Certain Digital Cable And Satellite Products, Inv. No. 337-TA-1049, Order No....more
In a recent Order, ALJ McNamara clarified that while diagrams drawn by an expert depicting the interplay and hierarchy of relevant code modules, inputs, and outputs of source code are to be treated as confidential business...more
11/13/2017
/ Addendums ,
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Confidential Business Information (CBI) ,
Discovery ,
Discovery Disputes ,
Expert Testimony ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Software Patents ,
Source Code
ALJ Essex has retired from the ITC after a decade of service. News of his retirement was provided in notices issued this week by Chief ALJ Bullock in investigations previously assigned to ALJ Essex....more
A recent ITC enforcement decision highlights the importance of redesigns as an effective strategy for Respondents at the ITC....more
7/25/2017
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Cease and Desist Orders ,
Exclusion Orders ,
Initial Determination (ID) ,
Injunctions ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Redesigned Products ,
Reversal ,
Sanctions ,
Section 337