FedCircuitBlog

This morning the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion in a patent case appealed from the Central District of California. The Federal Circuit affirmed the district court, which awarded attorneys’ fees with respect to the underlying California action but not with respect to related proceedings in Delaware and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Notably, Judge Reyna concurred in part and dissented in part from the panel’s judgment. Here are the introductions to the opinions.

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit. In a pending en banc veterans case, the government filed its en banc reply brief. The court also received a new petition in a case raising a question related to the written description requirement. Here are the details.

Here is this month’s update on activity in cases pending before panels of the Federal Circuit where the cases involve at least one amicus brief. We keep track of these cases in the “Other Cases” section of our blog. Today, with respect to these cases we highlight an opinion in a patent case addressing the denial of a motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to enjoin the International Trade Commission, a new patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and two oral argument recaps in a veterans case and a patent case concerning prosecution laches. Here are the details.

Earlier this month, the Federal Circuit heard oral argument in Personalized Media Communications, LLC v. Apple Inc., a patent case we have been tracking because it attracted amicus briefs. In this case, Personalized Media Communications appeals a district court’s decision to overturn a jury verdict. While the district court applied the “equitable doctrine of prosecution latches,” PMC claims the district court committed legal error and abused its discretion in ruling that PMC engaged in an “egregious misuse” of the patent system. This is our argument recap.

This morning the Federal Circuit released nonprecedential opinions in two cases appealed from the Court of Federal Claims. In both cases, the Federal Circuit affirms a dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Notably, both cases involve the same plaintiff. Here are the introductions to the opinions.

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

• an article discussing how, ”[i]f cert is granted, this [patent] case will ask the nation’s highest court to clarify the written description requirement under 35 U.S.C. § 112”;
• another article highlighting how the Federal Circuit recently ruled that inventions were unpatentable “[b]ecause the ‘patents are directed to a natural law together with conventional steps to detect or quantify the manifestation of that law’”; and
• a third article addressing how “[t]he Federal Circuit upheld a lower court’s decision backing a jury’s noninfringement finding in a patent suit against Amazon over diaper-monitoring technology.”

This morning the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential opinion in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Boar. The court affirmed the Board’s decision. Here is the introduction to the opinion.

Earlier this month, the Federal Circuit heard oral argument in Doyon v. United States, a case in which Doyon appeals a judgment by the Court of Federal Claims upholding a decision by the Board for the Correction of Naval Records to deny an application to modify his discharge records. Three amicus briefs were filed by veterans organizations in support of Doyon. This is our argument recap.

This morning the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential opinion in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board; a nonprecedential opinion in a case appealed from the Court of Federal Claims; and a nonprecedential opinion in a veterans case appealed from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The court also released a nonprecedential order dismissing a case for failure to file an appeal brief. Here are the introductions to the opinions and text from the order.

This morning the Federal Circuit announced that it had modified the court’s Internal Operating Procedures. The court characterized the change as “a minor stylistic alteration.” Here is the full text of the announcement.