A system claim is a claim directed to a system having a number of different components that work together. In Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Motorola Mobility LLC (Fed. Cir. 2017), the patent claim being litigated was a system claim. The patent was directed to the broad concept of transferring computer files electronically from one location to another, and more particularly … [Read more...]
Patent infringement
Patent infringement occurs when a person directly infringes a patent or indirectly contributes or induces another party to infringe the patent through the manufacture, use, offer to sell, sale or importation of a product covered by a patent claim into the United States.
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Causal nexus requirement of the irreparable injury factor
Four factors for a permanent injunction To secure a permanent injunction, the patent owner must demonstrate that four factors favor issuance of the permanent injunction. These four factors include (1) that it has suffered an irreparable injury; (2) that remedies available at law are inadequate to compensate for that injury; (3) that considering the balance of hardships between … [Read more...]
When is fee shifting in patent litigation appropriate?
Under the American rule, each party to a lawsuit pays its own attorney’s fees. However, the American rule can be circumvented by statute enacted by the government or by contract through agreement by the parties. In patent litigation, fee shifting is appropriate by statute under 35 U.S.C. § 285. Section 285 states that "the court in exceptional cases may award reasonable … [Read more...]
Transitional phrase in a claim determines scope of patent protection
A patent claim has three major sections, namely, a preamble, a transitional phrase and a body. The body of the claim contains the elements which define the scope of patent protection as defined by that claim. The transitional phrase indicates whether incorporating other elements or components in an accused infringing device other than those elements recited in the body would … [Read more...]
Patent based injunction granted due to reputational harm
I. Preliminary injunction background An issued patent provides its owner the right to exclude or stop others from competing against the patented invention. However, that right has been weakened in that it is much harder to convince a court to grant an injunction than before. Before 2006, a court would regularly grant an injunction upon showing an issued patent coupled with … [Read more...]
Equitable estoppel is still available to limit patent infringement liability
Under § 286, a defendant’s liability for patent infringement is limited to the preceding six years. Laches used to be a defense that would cut that six year time period even shorter. However, in SCA Hygiene Products v. First Quality Baby Products, LLC (S. Ct. 2017), the Supreme Court held that laches is no longer a defense to patent infringement. This means that the six year … [Read more...]
Bar to initiate Covered Business Method review was raised
The threshold bar for being able to successfully petition the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to initiate the covered business method review used to be low. See Versata. However, in Secure Axcess, LLC v. PNC Bank (Fed. Cir. 2/21/17), the Federal Circuit raised the threshold standard so that only claims that have a … [Read more...]
Claim scope negatively impacted due to deleted info from provisional application
The words that one uses in describing the invention in a patent application have significant impact as to the claim scope in any patent that might mature from the patent application. In MPHJ Technology Investments, LLC v. Ricoh Americas Corporation (Fed. Cir. February 13, 2017), a non-provisional patent application which was identical to its corresponding provisional patent … [Read more...]