FedCircuitBlog

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit in patent cases. Highlights include a new petition for rehearing concerning the standard of determining whether a claim is a “coined term” and two denials. Here are the details.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one nonprecedential opinion, one nonprecedential order, and one Rule 36 summary affirmance. The opinion addresses a pro se appeal from a decision of the Court of Federal Claims. The order grants a motion to voluntarily dismiss an appeal. Here is the introduction to the opinion and links to the dismissal and summary affirmance.

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. With respect to granted cases, there is no new activity to report since our last update. With respect to petitions, one new petition was filed with the Court in a veterans case; two reply briefs in support of petitions were filed in a patent case and a veterans case; and the Court denied certiorari in three patent cases, three veterans cases, a trade case, a Fair Labor Standards Act case, and a pro se case. Here are the details.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, three nonprecedential opinions, and one Rule 36 summary affirmance. The precedential opinion, which drew a dissent from Judge Reyna, reverses and remands a decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board cancelling the registration of a trademark. One nonprecedential opinion addresses an appeal from a Veteran’s Court decision, which is ultimately dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction. Another nonprecedential opinion affirms a decision from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board finding a claim unpatentable as obvious. Finally, another nonprecedential opinion affirms a dismissal by the Court of Federal Claims. Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit also released three nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the summary affirmance and dismissals.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, four nonprecedential opinions, and two nonprecedential orders. The precedential opinion addresses an appeal involving two inter partes review proceedings, affirming decisions on claim construction and prior art challenges related to biomolecule identification. One nonprecedential opinion affirms Patent Trial and Appeal Board findings on obviousness and its decisions regarding evidence and discovery. Two nonprecedential opinions address appeals from the Merit Systems Protection Board, with one affirming the Board’s decision sustaining the removal of an employee and the other affirming the Board’s determination that it lacked jurisdiction. The final nonprecedential opinion affirms a district court’s conclusion that certain patent claims are ineligible, with a partial dissent related to claim construction and analysis of inventive concept. The nonprecedential orders are dismissals. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the dismissals.

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

• an article about how “Apple and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have told the U.S. Supreme Court to reject [an] appeal claiming that Apple was wrongly allowed into patent challenges that doomed a $576 million judgment”; and
• a blog post highlighting the Federal Circuit’s “first precedential patent decision of 2024.”

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one nonprecedential order dismissing a petition for review. Here is the link to the dismissal.

This week is Court Week at the Federal Circuit. In total, the court will convene nine panels to consider 46 cases. Of these 46 cases, the court will hear oral arguments in 34. The Federal Circuit is providing access to live audio of these arguments via the Federal Circuit’s YouTube channel. This month, two cases attracted amicus briefs. Here’s what you need to know about these two cases.

Two cases being argued this month at the Federal Circuit attracted amicus briefs. The second case is New Vision Gaming & Development, Inc. v. LNW Gaming, a patent case. In it, the Federal Circuit will review two judgments of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in covered business method review proceedings. New Vision contends the overall structure for instituting and funding post-grant review proceedings under the America Invents Act “creates impermissible incentives for the PTAB, its leadership, and the individual administrative patent judges.” These incentives, New Vision argues, violate the Due Process Clause of the Constitution. New Vision also argues the “petitions should have been denied pursuant to the contractual obligation that all disputes over the [relevant] agreement are to be resolved in a Nevada court.” This is our argument preview.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released five nonprecedential orders. Four dismiss appeals and one dismisses a petition for review. Here are links to the orders.