In Intel Corporation v. Pact XPP Schweiz AG, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“Federal Circuit”) reversed and remanded the decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”). In the decision, the Federal Circuit rejected the Board’s rigid application of the “motivation-to-combine” analysis that required an element from one reference must
Federal Circuit
Streaming Wars? Streaming Giants Netflix and Hulu Team Up Against Streaming Technology Patent Owner
It seems as if Netflix and Hulu are continuously pumping out new content in their endless battle to win over more monthly subscribers. However, when a third-party asserts patents covering streaming technology against both streaming giants, the competitors find themselves on the same side of the line.
Such was the case in an inter partes…
Federal Circuit’s Rule 36 Judgments Leave Everyone in the Dark
Federal Circuit Rule 36 has been criticized for leaving IP practitioners in the dark as it allows for the court to enter judgment of affirmance without the reasoned analysis of the Court. Generally, the Rule allows for a judgement of affirmance without opinion if one of the enumerated conditions is met and the opinion would…
Federal Circuit Precedential Opinion Sheds Light on Importance of Issues Presented On Appeal
In a precedential opinion issued last month, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“Federal Circuit”) held that when the single issue presented on appeal is whether a prior art reference teaches a particular claim element, that is a factual question that the Federal Circuit reviews for substantial evidence. Addressing only this issue in…
“Known-technique” Rationale for KSR Analysis
In Intel Corp. v. PACT XPP Schweiz AG, the Federal Circuit held that establishing a motivation to combine prior art for KSR analysis based on the “known-technique” rationale does not require showing that the “known-technique” is an improvement. The Court held that it only requires showing that the “known-technique” is a “suitable option.”
PACT…
Federal Circuit Supports Flexible Implementation of the Rule of Reason Approach to Support a Finding of Sufficient Corroboration in an Interference Proceeding
In Dionex Softron GMBH vs. Agilent Technologies, Inc., the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“Federal Circuit”) affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (“Board”) decision in an interference proceeding to award priority to Agilent Technologies, Inc. (“Agilent”) over Dionex Softron GmbH (“Dionex”). In particular, the Federal Circuit affirmed the Board’s application of…
The Federal Circuit Rejects Additional Challenges to USPTO Authority After Arthrex
CyWee Group Ltd. (“CyWee”) has been bouncing between the Federal Circuit and Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”) with its administrative challenges after two inter partes review (“IPR”) proceedings invalidated the claims of its patents. Now, the Federal Circuit has resolved CyWee’s remaining procedural challenges, affirming the Board’s decisions in CyWee Grp. Ltd., v. Google…
The Federal Circuit Wants Litigants to Assert Estoppel When Available
Last month, the Federal Circuit’s holding in Google LLC v. Hammond Dev. Int’l, Inc.[1] illustrated the importance of raising a collateral estoppel argument when the opportunity arises. In Google LLC v. Hammond Dev. Int’l, Inc., the Court decided the patentability of claims directed to subject matter that was previously held unpatentable following…
Federal Circuit Gives Win for Patent Owners Seeking to Amend Claims at the PTAB
In American National v. Sleep Number Corporation, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”) affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (“Board”) decision to allow a patent owner to present proposed amended claims during inter partes review (“IPR”)proceedings that both respond to a ground of unpatentability and make other wording changes unrelated…
Federal Circuit Draws the Line of Disclaimers’ Binding Power
In the Federal Circuit’s recent decision of CUPP Computing AS v. Trend Micro Inc., the Court made the precedential holding that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“the Board”) is not bound by a party’s disclaimer in the very IPR proceeding in which it is made, just as a disclaimer in a district court…