The Technology & Information Law Blog
Analysis by Charles Gideon Korrell
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The Federal Circuit’s decision in In re Brunetti, No. 23-1539 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 26, 2025), sits at the uneasy intersection of trademark doctrine, administrative law, and cultural ubiquity. At issue was whether the word “FUCK,” sought to be registered in standard characters for a range of consumer goods and retail services, fails to function as…
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The Federal Circuit’s decision in Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings v. Qiagen Sciences, LLC, No. 23-2350 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 13, 2025), offers a sharp reminder that not every jury verdict survives appellate scrutiny, particularly where infringement theories stretch claim language or rely on generalized expert testimony. In a sweeping reversal, the court vacated a Delaware…
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The Federal Circuit’s August 8, 2025 decision in Mondis Technology Ltd. v. LG Electronics Inc. is another reminder that even a hard-fought jury verdict—complete with a finding of willfulness and tens of millions of dollars in damages—can evaporate if the asserted claims cannot survive scrutiny under 35 U.S.C. § 112. Once again, the court reversed…
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The Federal Circuit’s August 1, 2025 order denying rehearing en banc in Kroy IP Holdings, LLC v. Groupon, Inc., No. 23-1359, leaves intact a panel decision that sharply limits the collateral-estoppel effect of PTAB unpatentability decisions in subsequent district court litigation. The denial is notable not because of its brevity—en banc denials are routine—but because…
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The Federal Circuit’s August 1, 2025 decision in FMC Corporation v. Sharda USA, LLC offers a sharp reminder that patent drafting choices—especially between provisional and non-provisional applications—have consequences that courts will enforce. The panel vacated a preliminary injunction after concluding that the district court impermissibly narrowed claim scope by importing a “stability” limitation that appeared…
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The Ninth Circuit’s July 31, 2025 decision in Epic Games, Inc. v. Google LLC marks one of the most consequential appellate rulings on antitrust remedies in the modern platform economy. Affirming both a unanimous jury verdict and an unusually muscular permanent injunction, the court endorsed a remedial approach that goes well beyond telling a monopolist…
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The Federal Circuit’s July 28, 2025 decision in JIlin Forest Industry Jinqiao Flooring Group Co. v. United States, No. 2023-2245, arrives at a pivotal moment in U.S.–China trade relations. In a ruling that will cheer aggressive trade enforcers and cause heartburn for Chinese exporters, the court reversed the Court of International Trade (CIT) and restored…
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The Federal Circuit’s decision in Jiaxing Super Lighting Electric Appliance Co. v. CH Lighting Technology Co., No. 23-1715 (Fed. Cir. July 28, 2025) serves up a triple helping of reversible error: (1) improper exclusion of key on-sale bar evidence, (2) a reaffirmed jury verdict on validity and infringement of a shock-prevention patent, and (3) a…
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The Federal Circuit’s July 2025 decision in Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. v. Alkermes PLC, No. 2023-2374 (Fed. Cir. July 25, 2025), is the latest reminder that most “non-patent patent cases” will not make it past the courthouse steps on Madison Place. The court held that it lacked jurisdiction to review Acorda’s challenge to an international arbitration…
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The Federal Circuit’s July 23, 2025 decision in Sunkist Growers, Inc. v. Intrastate Distributors, Inc., No. 24-1212, offers a crisp reminder that the TTAB cannot lean too heavily on isolated snippets of marketing material to infer the “commercial impression” of a trademark. In reversing the Board’s dismissal of Sunkist’s opposition to the KIST word mark…