Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit. Highlights include five amicus briefs filed in the pending en banc case addressing design patent’s non-obviousness requirement and a denial of a petition for rehearing en banc in a utility patent case. Here are the details.
En Banc Case
Since our last update, in the only pending en banc case, LKQ v. GM Global Technology Operations LLC, five parties filed amicus briefs. This case concerns design patent’s non-obviousness requirement. The parties that filed amicus briefs all filed in support of the appellee, GM Global Technology Operations:
- Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation
- Alliance For Automotive Innovation and Rivian Automotive, Inc.
- Apple Inc.
- Industrial Designers Society of America
- Ford Motor Company
Denial
Since our last update, the Federal Circuit denied the petition for rehearing en banc in Ficep Corporation v. Peddinghaus Corporation, which raised questions concerning patent eligibility.