FedCircuitBlog

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. With respect to granted cases, the Supreme Court issued its opinion yesterday in Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, Aventisub LLC, a patent case addressing the enablement requirement. With respect to petitions, five new petitions were filed, one in a trade case, one in an employment case, and three in pro se cases. Three briefs in opposition were filed, two in veterans cases and one in a patent case. Two waivers of the right to respond were filed in the same patent case. And, finally, four petitions were denied, three in patent cases and in one pro se case. Here are the details.

This morning, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, Aventisub LLC, a patent case that presented the Court with the opportunity to decide “whether enablement is governed by the statutory requirement that the specification teach those skilled in the art to ‘make and use’ the claimed invention, 35 U.S.C. § 112, or whether it must instead enable those skilled in the art ‘to reach the full scope of claimed embodiments’ without undue experimentation—i.e., to cumulatively identify and make all or nearly all embodiments of the invention without substantial ‘time and effort.’” In a unanimous decision, the Court affirmed the Federal Circuit’s judgment of invalidity and found a patent “specification must enable the full scope of the invention as defined by its claims.” Justice Gorsuch authored the Court’s opinion. This is our opinion summary.

Late yesterday and this morning, the Federal Circuit released two nonprecedential opinions in related patent cases involving patent claims that were deemed invalid as indefinite. The court also released seven nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. Here are the introductions to the opinions and one of the orders and links to the other dismissals.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential opinion in a pro se case appealed from the Merit Systems Protection Board. The court also released four nonprecedential orders: one summarily affirming a judgment of the Merit Systems Protection Board, one summarily affirming a judgment of the Court of Federal Claims, one transferring a veteran’s case to the Western District of Texas, and one dismissing an appeal. Here are the introductions to the opinion and orders and a link to the dismissal.

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit in patent cases. Highlights include a new petition filed in a case raising a question about what constitutes a final judgment for purposes of appellate jurisdiction, three new responses to petitions related to eligibility and design patent’s non-obviousness requirement, and two amicus briefs also related to design patent’s non-obviousness requirement. The court also denied two petitions raising questions about eligibility and infringement. Here are the details.

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit announced the public release of all prior orders and responses in the ongoing proceeding challenging Judge Newman’s fitness to serve as a judge on the court. Here is the full text of the notice, which includes links to the underlying documents.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released four nonprecedential opinions, two in patent cases and two in pro se cases appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board. The court also released two nonprecedential orders, one denying a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to order the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to vacate an inter partes review and one dismissing an appeal. Here are the introductions to the opinions and order and a link to the dismissal.

Here is a report on recent news and commentary related to the Federal Circuit and its cases. Today’s report highlights:

• an article about the elevated tension within the Federal Circuit due to the ongoing lawsuit by Judge Newman;
• an article about how Judge Newman’s lawsuit is entering uncharted territory;
• an article providing a broad recap of ongoing problems the Federal Circuit and other entities face with patent eligibility and legislation seeking to solve these problems; and
• an article about the Supreme Court’s rejection of a challenge to a Federal Circuit holding that allegedly creates confusion for generic drugmakers.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released four nonprecedential opinions, two in Merit Systems Protection Board cases, one in a patent case, and one dismissing an appeal on jurisdictional grounds. Here are the introductions to the opinions.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential opinion in a pro se patent case along with two nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. Here is the introduction to the opinion and links to the orders.