In HD Silicon Solutions LLC V. Microchip Technology Inc., Appeal No. 23-1397, the Federal Circuit held that  all but one patent claim were invalid as obvious because the claimed material, as properly construed, was disclosed...more
In Honeywell International Inc. v. 3G Licensing, S.A., Appeal No. 23-1354, the Federal Circuit held that under the obviousness standard of 35 U.S.C. § 103, the motivation to modify prior art does not need to be the same as...more
2/10/2025
/ Appeals ,
Claim Construction ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Applications ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents
Bound to Happen: Inherent Property Leaves No Question of Reasonable Expectation of Success - In Cytiva Bioprocess R&D Ab v. Jsr Corp., Appeal No. 23-2074, the Federal Circuit held that a claim limitation merely reciting an...more
1/10/2025
/ Appeals ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Claim Construction ,
Infringement ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Summary Judgment
In Natera, Inc v. Neogenomics Laboratories, Inc., Appeal No. 24-1324 the Federal Circuit held that preliminary injunction may be valid if a substantial question of invalidity was not raised, even if the asserted patent is...more
8/6/2024
/ Background Checks ,
Claim Construction ,
Estoppel ,
Ex Parte ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Prior Art ,
Public Disclosure ,
Public Interest ,
USPTO
Who Bears the Burden of Proof for IPR Estoppel?
In Ironburg Inventions Ltd. v. Valve Corp., Appeal No. 21-2296, the Federal Circuit held that the patentee has the burden of proving that invalidity grounds not raised in a...more
Expiration of a Patent Does Not Always Trigger Application of Phillips Standard on IPR Appeal -
In Immunex Corporation v. Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC, Appeal No. 19-1749, the Federal Circuit held that expiration of a patent...more
11/13/2020
/ Broadest Reasonable Interpretation Standard ,
Claim Construction ,
First-to-File ,
Induced Infringement ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Phillips Standard ,
Prior Art
Joining an IPR Triggers IPR Estoppel Only for Instituted Grounds -
In Network-1 Technologies, Inc. v. Hewlett-Packard Company, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company , Appeal No. 18-2338, the Federal Circuit held that a party...more
10/21/2020
/ 35 U.S.C. § 315(c) ,
Anticipation ,
Claim Limitations ,
Contributory Infringement ,
Estoppel ,
Hewlett-Packard ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Judgment As A Matter Of Law ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Popular ,
Printed Publications ,
Prior Art
The Appointments Clause: Ensuring That PTAB Decisions Are Subject to Constitutional Checks and BalancesÂ
In Arthrex, Inc. v. Smith & Nephew, Inc., Appeal No. 18-2251, the Federal Circuit ruled that, under the then-existing...more
12/30/2019
/ Abstract Ideas ,
Administrative Appeals ,
Administrative Patent Judges ,
Anticipatory Reference ,
Appeals ,
Appointments Clause ,
Claim Limitations ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Declaration ,
Final Written Decisions ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Applications ,
Patent Examinations ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Preamble ,
Presidential Appointments ,
Prior Art ,
Process Improvement ,
Publicly Accessible Data ,
Reaffirmation ,
Reversal ,
Severability Doctrine ,
Supplemental Evidence ,
Written Notice
The PTAB Cannot Approve or Deny Certificates of Correction -
In Honeywell International, Inc. v. Arkema Inc., Arkema France, Appeal Nos. 2018-1151, -1153, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”) does not have the...more
11/25/2019
/ Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) ,
Abuse of Discretion ,
Appeals ,
Certificate of Correction ,
Claim Construction ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Cross Motions ,
Enablement Inquiries ,
Indefiniteness ,
Induced Infringement ,
JMOL ,
Judgment As A Matter Of Law ,
Leave to Amend ,
Mayo v. Prometheus ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Nonobvious ,
Partial Reversal ,
Patent Applications ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Owner Preliminary Response ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Post-Grant Review ,
Priority Patent Claims ,
Product of Nature Doctrine ,
Reaffirmation ,
Remand ,
Scope of the Claim ,
Section 101 ,
Section 112 ,
Vacated ,
Written Descriptions
Mere Potential for Future Appeal Does Not Prevent Triggering Estoppel of Inter Partes Reexamination When Party Fails to Seek Relief in the First Instance -
In Virnetx Inc. v. Apple Inc., Appeal Nos. 2017-1591, -1592,...more
10/3/2019
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Appeals ,
Claim Construction ,
Equivalency Determinations ,
Estoppel ,
Foreign Entities ,
Foreign Sovereigns ,
Indefiniteness ,
Inter Partes Reexamination ,
International Litigation ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
IP License ,
Judgment As A Matter Of Law ,
Nonobvious ,
Novelty ,
Parallel Proceedings ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Personal Jurisdiction ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Reaffirmation ,
Remand ,
Section 101 ,
Subject Matter Jurisdiction ,
Universities ,
Vacated ,
Written Descriptions
Broad Claim Language and Unpredictability in the Art Lead to Non-Enablement -
In Enzo Life Sciences, Inc. v. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Appeal Nos. 2017-2498, -2499, -2545, -2546, broad patent claims were invalid as...more
8/26/2019
/ Abstract Ideas ,
Aesthetic Functionality ,
Appeals ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Denial of Rehearing ,
Design Patent ,
Diagnostic Method ,
En Banc Review ,
Mayo v. Prometheus ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Patent Exhaustion ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Reaffirmation ,
Reversal ,
Section 101 ,
Standard of Review ,
Summary Judgment ,
USPTO ,
Written Descriptions
Reasonably Continuous Diligence Is Not Negated If an Inventor Works On Improvements or Evaluates Alternatives to the Claimed Invention -
In ATI Technologies ULC v. IANCU, Appeal Nos. 2016-2222, -2406, -2608, the Federal...more
6/19/2019
/ Abstract Ideas ,
Appeals ,
Clinical Trials ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Covered Business Method Proceedings ,
Eli Lilly ,
Graphical User Interface ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Nonobvious ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent Validity ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Reaffirmation ,
Reasonably Continuous Exercise of Diligence Standard ,
Reversal ,
Seventh Amendment ,
Trading Platforms
Just Because Something May Result From a Prior Art Teaching Does Not Make it Inherent in that Teaching -
In Personal Web Technologies, LLC v. Apple, Inc., Appeal No. 2018-1599, the Federal Circuit clarified that the mere...more
5/10/2019
/ Abstract Ideas ,
Appeals ,
Apple ,
Claim Construction ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Diagnostic Method ,
Dismissal With Prejudice ,
Inherency ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Jury Trial ,
Mayo v. Prometheus ,
Motion for JMOL ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Preamble ,
Prior Art ,
Product of Nature Doctrine ,
Reaffirmation ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Section 101 ,
Substantial Evidence Standard ,
Summary Judgment ,
Treatment Method Patents ,
Willful Infringement
PTAB May Invalidate Claims on Reconsideration Based on Grounds Raised in the Institution Decision that Were Not Originally Instituted -
In AC Technologies S.A., V. Amazon.Com, Inc., Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., Appeal No....more
3/14/2019
/ Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) ,
Amazon ,
Anticipation ,
Appeals ,
Article III ,
Due Process ,
Final Written Decisions ,
Generic Drugs ,
Hatch-Waxman ,
Hewlett-Packard ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Motivation to Combine ,
Mylan Pharmaceuticals ,
Obviousness ,
Orange Book ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Petition For Rehearing ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Reaffirmation ,
Right To Appeal ,
Section 103 ,
Standing
A Post-URAA Patent that Issues After but Expires Before a Related Pre-URAA Patent Is Not a Double-Patenting Reference Against the Pre-URAA Patent -
In Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. v. Breckenridge Pharmaceutical Inc.,...more
2/8/2019
/ Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) ,
Abstract Ideas ,
Appeals ,
Declaratory Judgments ,
Dismissals ,
Dispute Letters ,
Double Patent ,
Due Process ,
Improper Venue ,
Long Arm Statute ,
Minimum Contacts ,
Obviousness-Type Double Patenting (ODP) ,
Patent Expiration ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Term Extensions ,
Patent Terms ,
Patent Validity ,
Patents ,
Personal Jurisdiction ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Reaffirmation ,
Reversal ,
Stipulated Judgment ,
Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA)
Federal Circuit Finds Claims Directed to Tabbed Spreadsheets Patent Eligible and Claims Directed to Tracking Changes in Documents Ineligible Under Section 101 -
In Data Engine Technologies LLC v. Google LLC, Appeal No....more
12/7/2018
/ Abstract Ideas ,
Appeals ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Hatch-Waxman ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Life Sciences ,
Mayo v. Prometheus ,
Mylan Pharmaceuticals ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
POSITA ,
Prior Art ,
Product of Nature Doctrine ,
Reaffirmation ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Sandoz ,
Section 101 ,
Summary Judgment ,
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Knobbe Martens Partners Paul Conover, Irfan Lateef, and Curtis Huffmire presented "Patent Law Update for Medical Device Companies 2018" at the MedTech Innovation Summit in San Francisco, CA on November 28, 2018. This session...more
12/5/2018
/ Abstract Ideas ,
Administrative Procedure ,
America Invents Act ,
Biotechnology ,
Claim Amendments ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Copyright ,
Health IT ,
Innovative Technology ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Life Sciences ,
Medical Devices ,
Oil States Energy Services v Greene's Energy Group ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Portfolios ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Presidential Nominations ,
Private Property ,
Product of Nature Doctrine ,
SCOTUS ,
Trade Secrets ,
Trademarks ,
Trump Administration
Federal Circuit Finds Claims Issued from Reexamination Co-Pending with Appeal Ineligible Where the Changes Did Not Affect Section 101 Eligibility -
In SAP AMERICA, Inc. v. InvestPic, LLC, Appeal No. 2017-2081, the...more
10/30/2018
/ Abstract Ideas ,
Abuse of Discretion ,
Appeals ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Breach of Duty ,
Causation ,
Claim Limitations ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Computer-Related Inventions ,
Duty to Disclose ,
Expert Testimony ,
Implied Waivers ,
Instrinsic Evidence ,
Inter Partes Reexamination ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Judgment on the Pleadings ,
Means-Plus-Function ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Reaffirmation ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Section 101 ,
Section 112 ,
Section 337 ,
Vacated ,
Willful Misconduct
Priority Claims Cannot Be Incorporated by Reference -
In Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. West-Ward Pharmaceuticals International Limited, Appeal Nos. 2016-2707 and 2016-2708, the Federal Circuit held that when a patent for a...more
6/25/2018
/ Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) ,
Abuse of Discretion ,
Appeals ,
Claim Construction ,
Clear Error Standard ,
Consolidated Appeals ,
Diagnostic Method ,
Disclaimers ,
Discovery ,
Extrinsic Evidence ,
Generic Drugs ,
Incorporation by Reference ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Jurisdiction ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Terms ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Priority Patent Claims ,
Privity of Contract ,
Product of Nature Doctrine ,
Real Party in Interest ,
Scope of the Claim ,
Subsequent Litigation ,
Time-Barred Claims ,
Treatment Method Patents
Broadest Reasonable Interpretation Encompasses All Embodiments in the Absence of Support Specifically Excluding an Embodiment -
In Steuben Foods, Inc. v. Nestle USA, Inc., Appeal No. 2017-1290, the Federal Circuit...more
5/15/2018
/ Appeals ,
Apple ,
Broadest Reasonable Interpretation Standard ,
Claim Construction ,
Claim Terms ,
Collateral Estoppel ,
Evidence ,
Final Written Decisions ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Nestle ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Reaffirmation ,
Remand ,
Subsequent Litigation ,
Vacated
Distribution Agreements Can Constitute Offers for Sale Under Section 102(b) -
In The Medicines Company v. Hospira, Inc., Appeal Nos. 2014-1469, 2014-1504, the Federal Circuit held that a distribution agreement qualified as...more
4/11/2018
/ Amended Complaints ,
Appeals ,
Broadest Reasonable Interpretation Standard ,
Claim Construction ,
Computer-Related Inventions ,
Direct Infringement ,
Federal Rule 12(b)(6) ,
Generic Drugs ,
Indefiniteness ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Obviousness ,
On-Sale Bar ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Pleading Standards ,
Prior Art ,
Question of Fact ,
Question of Law ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Sales & Distribution Agreements ,
Section 101 ,
Standard of Review ,
Summary Judgment
Where Parties Raise an Actual Dispute Regarding Claim Scope, the Court Must Resolve It In Nobelbiz, Inc. v. Global Connect, L.L.C., Appeal Nos. 2016-1104, 2016-1105, the Federal Circuit held that where parties raise an actual...more
2/5/2018
/ Anticipation ,
Anticipatory Reference ,
Appeals ,
Burden of Proof ,
Claim Amendments ,
Combined References ,
Divided Infringement ,
Indefiniteness ,
Inherency ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Motion to Amend ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Scope of the Claim ,
Standard of Review ,
Substantial Evidence Standard
Fractured Federal Circuit Holds Patent Owner Does Not Bear Burden of Persuasion in IPR Motions to Amend -
In Aqua Products, Inc. v. Matal, Appeal No. 2015-1177, the Federal Circuit, sitting en banc, held that a patent...more
12/6/2017
/ Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) ,
Appeals ,
Burden of Persuasion ,
Burden of Production ,
Chevron Deference ,
Claim Amendments ,
Claim Construction ,
Commercial Success ,
Indefiniteness ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Intrinsic Test ,
Motion to Amend ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Ownership ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Reaffirmation ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Substantial Evidence Standard ,
USPTO ,
Vacated
District Court Abused Discretion in Ignoring Federal Circuit Mandate to Reconsider Attorneys’ Fees Under Octane Fitness -
In Adjustacam, LLC v. Newegg, Inc., Appeal No. 2016-1882, the Federal Circuit held that a district...more
9/15/2017
/ Abuse of Discretion ,
Adverse Inference Instructions ,
Appeals ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Broadest Reasonable Interpretation Standard ,
Damages ,
Discovery ,
Discovery Disputes ,
Document Productions ,
Exceptional Case ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Judicial Mandates ,
Means-Plus-Function ,
Motion to Compel ,
Obviousness ,
Octane Fitness v. ICON ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Reaffirmation ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Sanctions ,
Standard of Review ,
Totality of Circumstances Test ,
USPTO ,
Willful Misconduct
Federal Circuit Affirms Different Invalidity Results at PTAB and District Court -
In Novartis AG v. Noven Pharmaceuticals Inc., Appeal Nos. 2016-1678, 2016-1679, the Federal Circuit held that prior judicial opinions...more
6/8/2017
/ Abstract Ideas ,
Appeals ,
Burden of Proof ,
Claim Construction ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Final Written Decisions ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
JMOL ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Section 101