FedCircuitBlog

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 in a Merit Systems Protection Board case; a brief in opposition was filed by the government in response to petitions in three takings cases; and a reply brief was filed in a case concerning judicial disqualification. Here are the details.

This morning the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. In this opinion, the Federal Circuit affirms the Board’s decision that specific claims are unpatentable, reversed the Board’s construction of the phrase “used for electrical interconnection,” and remanded the case. The Federal Circuit also released three nonprecedential opinions. The first comes in a case appealed from the Merit Systems Protection Board; the second comes in a patent case appealed from the District of Delaware; and the third comes in a government contract case appealed from the Court of Federal Claims. Finally, the Federal Circuit released two nonprecedential orders. One transfers an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and one transfers an appeal to the District of Maryland.

This morning the Federal Circuit announced that the court issued Revised Protocols for In-Person Arguments. Notably, masks are no longer required to be worn when entering the National Courts Building and connected buildings. Here is the full text of the announcement with links to the relevant protocols and order.

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

• a blog post about “an appellate court ruling that many believe will be very damaging to the United States’ life sciences innovation sector”;
• an article about how “US Patent and Trademark Office rules for reducing the term of a patent survived a challenge at the Federal Circuit”; and
• another article about the Federal Circuit recently “affirmed the constitutionality of the [manner of appointment of the] Merit Systems Protection Board’s administrative judges.”

On November 1, the Federal Circuit heard oral argument in Secretary of Defense v. Raytheon Co., a government contract case that attracted an amicus brief. In this case, the government appeals a decision of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals relating to Raytheon’s compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations regarding whether lobbying and acquisition and divesture costs may be passed on to the government. The panel hearing the oral argument included Chief Judge Moore and Judges Prost and Taranto. This is our argument recap.

This morning the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. In this opinion, the Federal Circuit affirmed the Board’s final written decisions determining that some but not all of the challenged claims were not unpatentable. The Federal Circuit also released a nonprecedential opinion in a veterans case appealed from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, two nonprecedential orders, and a Rule 36 judgment. The first order summarily affirms, and the second grants an unopposed motion to dismiss a petition for a writ of mandamus. Here is the introduction to the opinions, text from the summary affirmance, and links to the order granting dismissal and the Rule 36 judgment.

The Federal Circuit did not release any opinions or orders this morning on its website.

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

• a blog post about a Federal Circuit opinion that found a “Scheduling Order . . . went too far in mandating additional substantive discovery and re-briefing” in light of a pending motion to transfer;
• an article about “[t]he fourth round of a multibillion-dollar dispute between Intel and VLSI”; and
• another blog post about how Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, Aventisub LLC “has the potential of shaking up [patent law’s] disclosure doctrine.”

This morning the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential opinion in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Late yesterday and this morning, the Federal Circuit also released two nonprecedential orders. One dismisses an appeal, and one transfers an appeal to the Western District of New York. Here is the introduction to the opinion, text from the order, and a link to the dismissal.

Yesterday, the Federal Circuit announced that the court no longer requires masks to be worn in the National Courts Building and connected buildings. Chief Judge Moore, along with the Chief Judge of the Court of Federal Claims, issued a joint order that, among other things, rescinds their most recent order regarding health protocols. Here is the full text of yesterday’s order.