FedCircuitBlog

On Friday, the Federal Circuit announced that Jarrett B. Perlow will be the next Circuit Executive and Clerk of Court. He will take over the relevant responsibilities on July 1, 2023. Here is the full text of the notice.

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

• an article discussing why “inventors [should be] wary of exhibiting their inventions too early”;
• a blog post about a Federal Circuit decision finding a district court’s “preliminary injunction barring the owner of patents . . . from communicating to its customers that a competitor was infringing its patents” was an abuse of its discretion; and
• another article about a former Sirius XM executive’s “challenge to an order compelling her to testify in a patent dispute” and the conclusion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that the Federal Circuit held jurisdiction over an appeal from the order.

The Federal Circuit recently issued its opinion in PrimeSource Building Products, Inc. v. United States, an international trade case we have been following because it attracted an amicus brief. In this case, the government appealed a determination by the Court of International Trade that the President exceeded his authority by issuing a proclamation outside a statutory time limitation. In an opinion authored by Judge Taranto and joined by Judges Chen and Stoll, the Federal Circuit reversed the judgment of the Court of International Trade. This is our opinion summary.

Late yesterday and today, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, two nonprecedential opinions, and two nonprecedential orders. In the precedential opinion, the court lifted an injunction and affirmed a judgment in a patent case appealed from the District of Delaware. In the two nonprecedential opinions, the Federal Circuit reversed judgments in patent cases appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Finally, in the two nonprecedential orders, the Federal Circuit dismissed cases appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the orders.

Yesterday, the Federal Circuit issued a Notice of Adopted Amendments to the Federal Circuit Rules of Practice. In it, the court amends 18 Federal Circuit Rules of Practice. The new amendments will take effect on March 1, 2023. Here is the full text of the announcement and a summary of the amendments.

The morning the Federal Circuit released three nonprecedential opinions and a nonprecedential order. In the first opinion, the court affirmed a judgment of unpatentability in a case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.  In the second opinion, the Federal Circuit affirmed a judgment of the Merit System Protection Board.  In the third opinion, the Federal Circuit affirmed a judgment in a patent case appealed from the Eastern District of Texas. The nonprecedential order issued by the Federal Circuit granted a motion to withdraw a petition for a writ of mandamus. Here is the introduction to the opinions and order.

Late last month, the Federal Circuit issued its opinion in Personalized Media Communications, LLC v. Apple, Inc., a case we have been following because it attracted an amicus brief. In this patent case, Personalized Media Communications challenged a district court’s decision to overturn a jury verdict based on the equitable doctrine of prosecution latches. In an opinion authored by Judge Reyna and joined by Judges Chen and Stark, the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling.

On February 10, the Federal Circuit heard oral arguments in C.R. Bard, Inc. v. Medical Components, Inc., a patent case that includes both an appeal and a cross-appeal. In the appeal, the Federal Circuit is reviewing a determination by a district court that Bard’s patent claims are directed to patent-ineligible printed matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101 and, moreover, lack an inventive concept. With respect to the cross-appeal, the court will similarly consider whether MedComp’s patent claims are ineligible. The panel hearing the oral argument included Judges Chen, Wallach, and Hughes. This is our argument recap.

This morning and late yesterday the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, two nonprecedential opinions, and three orders dismissing appeals. In the precedential opinion, the court affirmed a judgment of the Merit Systems Protection Board. In the first nonprecedential opinion, the court affirmed a judgment in a patent case appealed from Southern District of Texas that was dismissed for failure to state a claim. In the second nonprecedential opinion, the Federal Circuit affirmed a judgment in a patent case appealed from the Patent and Trademark Office. Here are the introductions to the opinions and link to the dismissals.

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. The Court recently granted the motion of the Solicitor General leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae in Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, Aventisub LLC, the pending patent case addressing the enablement patentability requirement. With respect to petitions, two new petitions were filed with the Court, one in a pro se case and another in a Merit Systems Protection Board case; the government filed its brief in opposition in a trade case; one amicus brief was filed in a trademark case and three amicus briefs were filed in a patent case (including, interestingly, an amicus brief on behalf of retired federal appellate judges); and the Court denied six petitions in various patent, veterans, and pro se cases. Here are the details.