FedCircuitBlog

Last week, the Federal circuit issued its opinion in Apple Inc. v. Vidal. In this case, the Federal Circuit reviewed a determination by a district court that 35 U.S.C. § 314(d) precluded judicial review of certain factors (the so-called Fintiv factors) adopted by the Director of the Patent and Trademark Office to govern decisions whether to institute inter partes review of patents. In an opinion authored by Judge Taranto and joined by Judges Lourie and Stoll, the Federal Circuit affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded. This is our opinion summary.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released three nonprecedential orders. In the first order, the court granted a petition for permission to appeal an order of the United States Court of Federal Claims. In the second order, the Federal Circuit denied a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to order the Western District of Texas to transfer a case. In the third order, the Federal Circuit denied a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to order the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to terminate an inter partes review proceeding. Here are the introductions to the orders.

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. With respect to granted cases, on Monday the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case addressing patent law’s enablement requirement. With respect to petitions, two new petitions were filed with the Court in a patent case and veterans case; a party waived its right to respond in another patent case; and the Court denied a petition in a government contract case. Here are the details. 

This morning, the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion, a nonprecedential opinion, a nonprecedential order, and a Rule 36 judgment. In the precedential opinion, the court dismissed-in-part and denied-in-part a petition for review regarding the Veterans Affairs Adjudication Procedures Manual. In the nonprecedential opinion, the Federal Circuit affirmed-in-part and dismissed-in-part an appeal from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. And in the nonprecedential order, the Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the dismissal and Rule 36 judgment.

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit. In the only pending en banc case, a veterans case, the court received the appellant’s supplemental brief. As for patent cases, the court received a new petition raising questions related to patent eligibility. Here are the details.

Late yesterday and this morning, the Federal Circuit released one nonprecedential opinion and two nonprecedential orders. In the opinion, the court dismissed an appeal from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The Federal Circuit also issued two nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. Here is the introduction to the opinion and links to the dismissals.

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

• an article about “[r]ival drugmakers Viatris and Merck . . . settl[ing] their yearslong dispute over patents on brand name diabetes treatments”;
• another article about a petition to the Supreme Court asking “the high court to review an appeals court’s decision that patents can only be issued to human inventors”; and
• a blog post about another Supreme Court petition “ask[ing] the Supreme Court to overturn the Federal Circuit’s ruling that Ingenio was estopped from challenging the validity of patent claims that were denied institution during inter partes review (IPR) validity proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.”

This morning the Federal Circuit issued a nonprecedential opinion affirming-in-part and vacating-in-part a judgment of the Northern District of California in a patent case. Here is the introduction to the opinion.

Here is the first of two updates this week 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 a new patent case in which the court, due to a motion to expedite, heard oral argument recently. Additionally, we highlight new briefings in two patent cases as well as four recent opinions. Here are the details.

This morning the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order dissmissing an appeal. That’s it. Here is a link to the dismissal.