Topic
Every decision we've filed under Intellectual Property.
The Federal Circuit affirmed the invalidity of two patents for indefiniteness but reversed summary judgment on infringement for a third patent due to disputed facts regarding Google's Content ID system. The case is remanded for trial on the infringement issue while the invalidity rulings for the other patents remain in effect.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an order dismissing an appeal in a patent dispute between Universal Electronics, Inc. and Roku, Inc. The dismissal was voluntary and based on a stipulation by both parties to withdraw the appeal.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit determined it lacked jurisdiction over an appeal concerning the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The court ordered the transfer of the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
The Sixth Circuit reversed a district court dismissal, holding that an Oklahoma law firm purposefully directed its debt collection activities at a Michigan resident. The court found that garnishing wages earned by a Michigan employee established sufficient minimum contacts for personal jurisdiction.
The Ninth Circuit vacated a district court order that denied defendants' motions for a new trial solely because they failed to comply with local pre-filing conference rules. The appellate court held that strict enforcement of procedural requirements without equitable consideration deprived the defendants of a merits-based trial when they had made good-faith efforts to cooperate.
The Federal Circuit determined it lacked jurisdiction over an appeal concerning a Small Business Administration grant dispute because the claim did not involve patent laws or specific tort damages. Consequently, the court transferred the case to the Third Circuit, which holds proper subject matter jurisdiction over this civil action.
The Federal Circuit summarily affirmed the dismissal of a $65 million suit against the United States, holding that the Court of Federal Claims lacked jurisdiction over the plaintiff's tort-based and takings claims. The court ruled that liberty and bodily integrity are not property interests compensable under the Takings Clause and that implied-in-law contracts fall outside the court's statutory authority.
The Ninth Circuit vacated the denial of Defendants' motions for a new trial, ruling that the district court abused its discretion by strictly enforcing local rules without weighing the parties' conduct. The appellate court remanded the case for the district court to evaluate the merits of the new trial motions rather than dismissing them on procedural grounds.
The Ninth Circuit vacated a district court order that denied a motion for a new trial solely because the defendants failed to complete a local rule pre-filing conference. The appellate court held that the district court abused its discretion by ignoring the defendants' good-faith efforts to meet and confer and the plaintiff's refusal to cooperate.
The Ninth Circuit denied petitions for panel and en banc rehearing, upholding the district court's summary judgment that the Bureau of Land Management lacked authority to conduct a land exchange involving Fort Hall Reservation lands. The court held that a specific 1900 statute governing these ceded lands prohibits disposal via the Federal Land Policy and Management Act because the earlier law's plain text bars such transfers.