FedCircuitBlog

This morning, the Federal Circuit issued nonprecedential opinions in two veterans cases, a trademark case appealed from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, a patent case reversing a dismissal and remanding the case to determine standing, and another a patent case affirming the denial of attorney fees. The court also issued a Rule 36 judgment. Here are the introductions to the opinions and a link to the Rule 36 judgment.

Last week panels of the Federal Circuit heard oral arguments in two cases that attracted amicus briefs. In one, Lynch v. McDonough, Lynch asks the court to overrule Ortiz v. Principi, a case setting forth the burden of proof by which veterans must prove their claims. Chief Judge Prost and Circuit Judges Dyk and Clevenger heard the oral argument. This is our argument recap.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order in a patent case denying a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to order the Western District of Texas both to rule on a pending motion to transfer and to stay all other proceedings until that motion is resolved. The Federal Circuit also released five Rule 36 judgments. Here is text from the order and links to the Rule 36 judgments.

• Supreme Court Backs Google in Copyright Fight With Oracle – A 6-2 ruling ended the decade-long copyright dispute between Google and Oracle over Google’s use of Java programming code in its Android operating system.
• Apple Can’t Appeal Patent Board Rulings After Qualcomm Deal – In a precedential decision, the Federal Circuit ruled that a settlement agreement between Apple and Qualcomm bars Apple from challenging a PTAB decision that upheld two Qualcomm patents.
• Fitbit Wins Challenge to Health Technology Patent at Tribunal – On remand from the Federal Circuit, the Patent Trial and Appel Board ruled in favor of Fitbit and concluded that parts of a health-monitoring patent were invalid as obvious.  

Here’s the latest.

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit.

• The Supreme Court rendered its decision in Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc., the long-running software copyright case.
• Three amicus briefs were filed in Minerva Surgical, Inc. v. Hologic, Inc., a case that has been granted certiorari.
• The Court received three new petitions for writ of certiorari.
• One new brief in opposition was filed with the Court in response to the petition in American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. v. Neapco Holdings LLC.
• One new reply brief was filed with the Court in Ericsson Inc. v. TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited.
• One new amicus brief was filed with the Court in Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative v. United States by Anthem, Inc., Blue Cross of Idaho Health Service, Inc., Highmark Inc., L.A. Care Health Plan, and Molina Healthcare of California, Inc.
• Lastly, the Court denied the petitions in three cases.

Here are the details.

This morning, the Federal Circuit issued four nonprecedential opinions: two in veterans cases both dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, one in a patent case, and one in a case appealed from the Merit Systems Protection Board. The court also issued four Rule 36 judgments. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the Rule 36 judgments.

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit in patent cases. The court received a new response to a petition raising questions related to claim construction and the doctrine of equivalents, and the court denied two petitions raising questions related to claim construction, eligible subject matter, and deference to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Here are the details.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion dismissing an appeal from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board for a lack of standing. The court also released a nonprecedential opinion in a case appealed from the Merit Systems Protection Board as well as a Rule 36 judgment. Here are the introductions to the opinions and a link to the Rule 36 judgment.

Last week we hosted an online symposium, “Year in Review–The Federal Circuit in 2020,” reviewing important opinions of the Federal Circuit from 2020. Seven authors published six blog posts addressing various cases within the Federal Circuit’s exclusive jurisdiction: trade, patent, Tucker Act, federal employment, and veterans law cases. Here, we wrap up our online symposium by linking to and highlighting the focus of each contribution.

This morning, the Federal Circuit issued a precedential opinion in a patent case affirming a judgment of noninfringement. Additionally, the court issued two Rule 36 judgments. The introduction to the opinion and links to the Rule 36 judgments can be found here.