Topic
Every decision we've filed under Intellectual Property.
The Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision that claims for an electronic message management system were unpatentable as obvious. The court held that the Board's finding was supported by substantial evidence that prior art disclosed the patent's specific delivery parameters.
The Federal Circuit held that a respondent in an International Trade Commission proceeding cannot restart the statutory deadline for a mandatory stay by voluntarily dismissing and refiling a declaratory judgment action. The court ruled that the 30-day time limit in 28 U.S.C. § 1659(a)(2) is jurisdictional and mandatory, preventing parties from circumventing the deadline through procedural maneuvering.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal brought by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Samsung Electronics America, Inc. against Fendgo LLC. The dismissal was granted pursuant to the parties' agreement under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 42(b).
The Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Fresh Bourbon in a Lanham Act false advertising dispute, ruling that its claims of being the first African American-owned distiller were not unambiguously false. The court held that Victory Global failed to meet its burden of proving actual consumer deception regarding the ambiguous nature of the marketing statements.
The Supreme Court held that an internet service provider is not contributorily liable for user copyright infringement merely because it knows specific subscribers are infringing. Liability requires proof that the provider affirmatively induced the infringement or provided a service specifically tailored to it.
The Ninth Circuit held that a clickwrap agreement for Hyundai's Connected Services did not clearly and unmistakably delegate arbitrability questions to an arbitrator in a class action. The court further ruled that the arbitration clause did not cover product defect claims unrelated to the Connected Services, as such an interpretation would lead to absurd results.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board by mutual agreement of the parties. Each side was ordered to bear its own costs under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure forty-two, subsection B.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a jury verdict holding four companies liable for falsely advertising aftermarket saltwater pool chlorination products. The court rejected arguments that the district court erred by admitting previously undisclosed evidence and by directing a verdict on alter ego liability.
The Federal Circuit reversed a summary judgment of noninfringement, holding that patent claims for rotary atomizers do not exclude curved surfaces or require separate pieces for attached components. However, the court affirmed the district court's decision to exclude the plaintiff's expert testimony due to a lack of specific design experience.
The Federal Circuit affirmed summary judgment against HEALTHeSTATE, LLC, ruling that the company failed to prove copyright infringement or breach of contract regarding software developed for the government. The court held that the government's use of the software was authorized by the contracts and federal regulations, and that the plaintiff's copyright registrations were invalid due to knowingly submitted inaccuracies.