Tag: patent law
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Hyatt v. Stewart: Prosecution Laches Survives—and Article III Still Matters—in §145 Actions
The Federal Circuit’s August 29, 2025 decision in Hyatt v. Stewart brings a long-running saga back to a firm stopping point. Once again, the court affirmed that the United States Patent and Trademark Office may rely on prosecution laches to defeat long-delayed patent applications, even when those applications are pursued through a civil action under…
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Global Health Solutions LLC v. Selner: The Federal Circuit’s First AIA Derivation Appeal Clarifies Conception, Corroboration, and Harmless Error
The Federal Circuit’s decision in Global Health Solutions LLC v. Selner marks the court’s first precedential review of an America Invents Act (AIA) derivation proceeding. In affirming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s judgment, the court provided much-needed guidance on how AIA derivation proceedings differ from pre-AIA interferences, how conception and communication operate under the…
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Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings v. Qiagen Sciences, LLC: When “Identical” Means Identical—and the Doctrine of Equivalents Is Not a Jury Mulligan
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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Mondis v. LG: Federal Circuit Reverses Jury Verdict for Lack of Written Description
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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Kroy IP Holdings v. Groupon: The Federal Circuit Draws a Hard Line on IPR Collateral Estoppel
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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FMC Corporation v. Sharda USA, LLC: When Deleting Words Deletes Claim Scope
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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Jiaxing Super Lighting v. CH Lighting: EcoFactor’s Shadow Over Damages Testimony Grows
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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Acorda v. Alkermes: When Alternative Theories Shut the Federal Circuit Door
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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IGT v. Zynga: Institution Unreviewability Swallows Interference Estoppel (and Obviousness Stands)
The Federal Circuit’s decision in IGT v. Zynga Inc. delivers a one-two punch that will resonate in AIA practice: (1) the court affirmed the PTAB’s obviousness ruling; and (2) it refused to review the agency’s decision not to apply interference estoppel at institution. Read together, the opinion underscores just how muscular § 314(d)’s unreviewability has…
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Colibri Heart Valve LLC v. Medtronic CoreValve, LLC: Prosecution History Estoppel Bars Equivalents Infringement
In its July 18, 2025 opinion in Colibri Heart Valve LLC v. Medtronic CoreValve, LLC, the Federal Circuit reversed a $106 million jury verdict in favor of Colibri, holding that Colibri’s infringement theory under the doctrine of equivalents was barred by prosecution history estoppel. The case centered on a now-expired patent for a method of…