FedCircuitBlog

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

• an article discussing arguments from the “[l]awyers for the Federal Circuit . . . that a lawsuit filed by 96-year-old Judge Pauline Newman seeking reinstatement should be dismissed”;
• an article highlighting “the biggest patent rulings of 2023,” including how “the Federal Circuit . . . suspended one of its own judges. . . and the Federal Circuit vacated a huge infringement verdict”; and
• an article noting how the Supreme Court “denied a petition for writ of certiorari asking the Court to reconsider the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s (CAFC’s) June ruling that the petitioner said signals an expanding practice of reversing agency decisions in lieu of remand.”

On its website, today, the Federal Circuit did not release any opinions, but it did release eleven nonprecedential orders in various cases. (Judges Prost, Hughes, and Stoll were busy!) Other than an order granting a petition to transfer a patent case from the Western District of Texas to the Northern District of California, the orders are relatively run-of-the mill. They do things like dismiss petitions, summarily affirm, deny petitions, and grant undisputed motions to transfer, and dismissal appeals. Here are the introductions to ten of the orders and a link to the eleventh order, a dismissal.

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. Last week, the Supreme Court granted a petition for certiorari in a case concerning the Merit Systems Protection Board. With respect to petitions, three new petitions were filed with the Court in two patent cases and one pro se case. Additionally, six waivers of right to respond, three briefs in opposition, and two reply briefs were filed with the Court. Finally, the Supreme Court denied certiorari in a patent case and two pro se cases. Here are the details.

Today, the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion affirming a Special Master in a vaccine case over a dissent by Judge Mayer and three nonprecedential opinions in a patent case, a Merit Systems Protection Board case, and a veterans case. The court also released a nonprecedential order transferring two appeals and another nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. Here are the introductions to the opinions and transfer order along with a link to the dismissal.

Last week, the Supreme Court granted petition for certiorari in Harrow v. Department of Defense. In this case, the petitioner asked the Court to consider whether the deadline to file a petition for the Federal Circuit to review a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board is jurisdictional. This matters because, as it stands, the Federal Circuit has concluded that the deadline is jurisdictional and, as a result, not subject to equitable tolling. Here are the details.

Today the Federal Circuit released three nonprecedential opinions, one in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and two in pro se cases. The court also released two nonprecedential orders, one granting a motion to withdraw a petition and one dismissing an appeal. Here are the introductions to the opinions and first order and a link to the second order.

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit. Highlights include the filing of a reply brief filed in the only pending en banc case, a design patent case addressing the non-obviousness requirement; the filing of a new petition for rehearing in another patent case; and the denial of a petition for rehearing in a case raising a question about venue. Here are the details.

Today the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion in a government contract case and a nonprecedential opinion in a pro se case. The court also released two nonprecedential orders granting summary affirmances. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the orders.

Today the Federal Circuit released four nonprecedential opinion in pro se cases. The court also released three nonprecedential orders. One affirms a dismissal in a pro se case, one grants a summary affirmance, and one grants a dismissal. Here are the introductions to the opinions, the introduction to the order affirming the dismissal, and links to the other orders.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion in a patent case and six nonprecedential opinions in pro se cases. The court also released five nonprecedential orders: five summary affirm appeals and one grants a dismissal. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the orders.