Holmes Group, Inc. v. Vornado Air Circulation Systems, Inc.

 
DOCKET NO.
OP. BELOW
SUBJECT
Jurisdiction
AUTHOR
Scalia

Question(s) Presented

“In this case, we address whether the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over a case in which the complaint does not allege a claim arising under federal patent law, but the answer contains a patent-law counterclaim.”

Holding

“Not all cases involving a patent-law claim fall within the Federal Circuit’s jurisdiction. By limiting the Federal Circuit’s jurisdiction to cases in which district courts would have jurisdiction under [28 U.S.C.] ยง 1338, Congress referred to a well-established body of law that requires courts to consider whether a patent-law claim appears on the face of the plaintiff’s well-pleaded complaint.”