FedCircuitBlog

This afternoon the Supreme Court granted the petition for certiorari in Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc., a copyright case most recently decided by the Federal Circuit in 2018. The grant comes on the heels of the case being listed for consideration at four of the Court’s conferences, including the last three in a row.

It was a busy week at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. Three amicus briefs in favor of the respondent were filed in one of the four granted cases, Thryv, Inc. v. Click-to-Call Technologies, LP. With respect to petitions, multiple petitions were denied, two new petitions were filed, several party briefs were filed, and nine amicus briefs were filed in one case, Athena Diagnostics, Inc. v. Mayo Collaborative Services, LLC. We have the details.

While the Federal Circuit did not issue any opinions this morning, this afternoon (after the time the court typically issues opinions) it issued an important precedential opinion in a patent case, Arthrex, Inc. v. Smith & Nephew, Inc. In this case Arthrex argued that the the Secretary of Commerce’s appointment of Administrative Patent Judges to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board violates the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Federal Circuit agreed. The court, however, also noted the limited nature of its holding and the limited remedy its holding required.

I’m excited to announce several new ways for you to stay up to date on Federal Circuit cases and news. We have created a daily digest email as well as a presence on various social media platforms. Read on for the details.

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. While there is no new activity to report in the merits cases, the Supreme Court did deny two petitions for certiorari. And while no new petitions were filed this week, two reply briefs in support of petitions were filed, and as were several amicus briefs.

Today the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Peter v. NantKwest, and—to put it lightly—the government had a tough go. Malcolm Stewart of the Office of the Solicitor General faced a barrage of questions finding fault with the government’s position that patent applicants must pay the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s attorneys’ fees when challenging rejections in federal district court. NantKwest’s Morgan Chu, by contrast, faced many questions seeking to clarify the historical record and NantKwest’s position, but few directly challenging NantKwest’s position on the merits.

Last week we provided a preview of the 27 petitions distributed for the Supreme Court’s October 1 conference in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. Here is a report on the order list the Supreme Court issued today as a result of its October 1 conference. In a nutshell, the Court denied or dismissed petitions for certiorari in 21 cases decided by the Federal Circuit, and left six other petitions pending.

Periodically Fed Circuit Blog will provide an update on important cases pending before panels at the Federal Circuit, particularly cases with amicus briefs. Today we highlight TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd. v. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. At least based on the number of amicus briefs filed in the case, it is one of the most watched cases pending at the court.

Every month here at Fed Circuit Blog we plan to highlight important scholarship—primarily law review articles in draft or final form—related to the Federal Circuit and its jurisdiction and jurisprudence. This month we are highlighting four articles from the Iowa Law Review’s recent symposium addressing patent and administrative law.

I’m excited to introduce you to Fed Circuit Blog, a project of the Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation at the SMU Dedman School of Law. This blog provides comprehensive coverage of activities and news related to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

In several ways the Federal Circuit is a unique court. Given that it has exclusive jurisdiction over appeals in various types of federal cases, unless the Supreme Court reviews its opinions, these opinions govern nationwide.

The court’s exclusive jurisdiction includes appeals in patent cases. Given the impact of patents on the development and use of technology, the Federal Circuit holds an important place in the innovation ecosystem. As a result, Fed Circuit Blog will provide particular insight into the law governing patent cases and its impact on the innovation ecosystem. That said, Fed Circuit Blog will extend its coverage of the court to other areas of the court’s jurisdiction.

So exactly what information will Fed Circuit Blog provide?