Tag: patent law
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Shockwave Medical v. Cardiovascular Systems: Federal Circuit Clarifies Use of AAPA and Reverses PTAB on Claim 5
In a significant decision issued on July 14, 2025, the Federal Circuit in Shockwave Medical, Inc. v. Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., Nos. 2023-1864, 2023-1940, affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s finding that most of the claims of U.S. Patent No. 8,956,371 were unpatentable as obvious—but reversed the Board’s lone finding of non-obviousness, holding that claim…
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Janssen v. Teva: Federal Circuit Affirms Validity of Paliperidone Palmitate Dosing Regimen Patent
In a significant ruling for pharmaceutical patent litigation, the Federal Circuit in Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Nos. 25-1228, 25-1252 (Fed. Cir. July 8, 2025), affirmed the district court’s determination that U.S. Patent No. 9,439,906 (“the ’906 patent”)—which claims specific dosing regimens for long-acting injectable formulations of the antipsychotic paliperidone palmitate—is not…
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Egenera, Inc. v. Cisco Systems, Inc.: Federal Circuit Affirms Noninfringement Verdict on All Asserted Claims
In a resounding victory for Cisco Systems, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court’s ruling that Cisco’s Unified Computing System (“UCS”) does not infringe U.S. Patent No. 7,231,430, held by Egenera, Inc. The decision, issued on July 7, 2025, capped nearly a decade of litigation over Egenera’s patented “virtual processing area network” technology. The ruling…
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Eye Therapies, LLC v. Slayback Pharma, LLC: “Consisting Essentially Of” Precludes Other Active Ingredients
In a significant reversal for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), in Eye Therapies, LLC v. Slayback Pharma, LLC the Federal Circuit on June 30, 2025, held that the Board erred in its construction of the transitional claim phrase “consisting essentially of” as used in Eye Therapies, LLC’s U.S.…
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Optis Cellular Technology v. Apple Inc.: Federal Circuit Orders New Trial on Infringement and Damages Due to Unanimity Violation and Improper Evidence
The Federal Circuit’s June 16, 2025, decision in Optis Cellular Technology, LLC v. Apple Inc., Nos. 2022-1904, 2022-1925, vacates a $300 million damages judgment in a high-stakes standard-essential patent (SEP) case and mandates a new trial on both infringement and damages. The court found that the Eastern District of Texas violated Apple’s constitutional right to…
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Ancora v. Roku: When Patent Licenses Become Evidence of Nonobviousness
In the June 16, 2025 decision of Ancora Technologies, Inc. v. Roku, Inc., the Federal Circuit vacated and remanded two inter partes review (IPR) decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) that had found claims of U.S. Patent No. 6,411,941—owned by Ancora Technologies, Inc.—to be unpatentable as obvious. While the Federal Circuit affirmed…
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Mitek Systems, Inc. v. United Services Automobile Association: No Standing for Declaratory Non-Infringement Claims Based on Indirect Liability or Customer Indemnity
In a detailed and precedent-reinforcing opinion issued on June 12, 2025, the Federal Circuit in Mitek Systems, Inc. v. United Services Automobile Association, No. 23-1687, affirmed the dismissal of Mitek’s declaratory judgment action for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. The court held that Mitek failed to establish a justiciable controversy under Article III and the Declaratory…
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United Services Automobile Association v. PNC Bank N.A.: Federal Circuit Invalidates Mobile Check Deposit Patent as Abstract and Non-Inventive
In United Services Automobile Association v. PNC Bank N.A., the Federal Circuit reversed a district court ruling that had upheld the patent eligibility of United Services Automobile Association’s (“USAA”) mobile check deposit patent, holding instead that the asserted claim of U.S. Patent No. 10,402,638 (“the ’638 patent”) was directed to an abstract idea and lacked…
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Agilent v. Synthego: Federal Circuit Clarifies Written Description and Motivation to Combine
The Federal Circuit vacated and reversed key findings by the PTAB in a suite of post-grant challenges brought against Agilent Technologies’ patents on CRISPR-related RNA purification methods. The decision in Agilent Technologies, Inc. v. Synthego Corp., Nos. 23-1916, -1917, -1918, -1919, and -2043, addresses recurring issues in PTAB proceedings: how to properly assess written description…
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Fraunhofer v. Sirius XM: CAFC Clarifies Limits of Equitable Estoppel in Patent Litigation
The Federal Circuit reversed a district court’s grant of summary judgment in Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. v. Sirius XM Radio Inc., No. 23-2267, holding that disputed issues of fact precluded the application of equitable estoppel to bar Fraunhofer’s patent infringement claims. While the decision arises from a complex licensing history involving satellite…