Tag: patent law
-
Global Tubing v. Tenaris: Federal Circuit Vacates Summary Judgment on Inequitable Conduct and Walker Process Fraud
The Federal Circuit’s decision in Global Tubing LLC v. Tenaris Coiled Tubes LLC, No. 2023-1882 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 26, 2026) delivers a sharp reminder that even apparently damning internal language will not short-circuit the demanding standards governing inequitable conduct and Walker Process fraud. In its opinion, the court vacated summary judgment of inequitable conduct and…
-
REGENXBIO v. Sarepta Therapeutics: Recombinant AAV Host Cells Are Not Products of Nature
On February 20, 2026, the Federal Circuit issued a significant decision clarifying the scope of patent eligibility for genetically engineered compositions in REGENXBIO Inc. v. Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., No. 2024-1408 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 20, 2026). Reversing the District of Delaware, the court held that claims directed to cultured host cells containing recombinant nucleic acid molecules…
-
Genuine Enabling Tech. v. Sony: Means-Plus-Function Claims Demand Full Structural Accounting
On February 19, 2026, the Federal Circuit issued a significant decision in Genuine Enabling Technology LLC v. Sony Group Corporation, No. 2024-1686, affirming summary judgment of noninfringement in favor of Sony. At first glance, the case involves familiar territory: PlayStation controllers, Bluetooth modules, and an aging patent directed to combining data streams. But the real…
-
Netflix v. DivX: When Grammar Determines Patent Claim Scope
Netflix, Inc. v. DivX, LLC presents a deceptively simple question of grammar that ultimately determined the fate of an inter partes review. In a precedential opinion authored by Judge Taranto, the Federal Circuit reversed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s claim construction, vacated its final written decision, and remanded for further proceedings. The court’s decision…
-
Apple v. Squires: Federal Circuit Upholds NHK-Fintiv Against APA Rulemaking Challenge
On February 13, 2026, the Federal Circuit issued its long-awaited decision in Apple Inc. v. Squires, No. 2024-1864 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 13, 2026), affirming that the USPTO Director’s NHK-Fintiv framework governing discretionary denials of IPR institution is a “general statement of policy” exempt from notice-and-comment rulemaking under 5 U.S.C. § 553(b). The opinion closes what…
-
Ingevity v. BASF: When Patent Licensing Crosses Into Antitrust Tying
On February 11, 2026, the Federal Circuit in Ingevity Corp. v. BASF Corp., No. 2024-1577, affirmed a jury verdict finding unlawful tying under the Sherman Act and upholding a $28.3 million damages award (trebled to approximately $84.8 million). The opinion, authored by Judge Lourie and joined by Judges Prost and Cunningham, is a consequential reminder…
-
GoTV v. Netflix: Federal Circuit Holds Device-Tailored Content Claims Ineligible Under Section 101
On February 9, 2026, the Federal Circuit issued its decision in GoTV Streaming, LLC v. Netflix, Inc., reversing a jury verdict and holding that three related GoTV patents are invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The panel, in an opinion by Judge Taranto, concluded that the asserted claims were directed to the abstract idea of…
-
Sound View v. Hulu: Federal Circuit Requires Claimed Method Steps in a Specific Order
On January 29, 2026, the Federal Circuit issued its decision in Sound View Innovations, LLC v. Hulu, LLC, affirming summary judgment of noninfringement based on the required sequence of steps in a method claim. While the panel rejected the district court’s narrowing construction of “buffer,” it nonetheless held that the asserted claim required a specific…
-
US Patent No. 7,679,637 v. Google: Federal Circuit Rejects Functional Claims Under Section 101
On January 22, 2026, the Federal Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a patent infringement complaint against Google at the pleading stage, holding that the asserted claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,679,637 are patent-ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The decision reinforces a familiar theme in modern eligibility jurisprudence: claims drafted at a high level of…
-
Barry v. DePuy Synthes: Federal Circuit Limits Daubert Exclusion of Patent Experts
On January 20, 2026, the Federal Circuit issued a significant decision clarifying the boundary between judicial gatekeeping under Daubert and the jury’s role as factfinder in patent infringement trials. In Barry v. DePuy Synthes Companies, the court reversed the exclusion of two key experts and vacated a judgment as a matter of law entered after…