FedCircuitBlog

This morning, the Federal Circuit released three precedential opinions, one nonprecedential opinion, two Rule 36 judgments, and two nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. All three precedential opinions come in patent cases: one reviews an order holding asserted claims indefinite; another addresses the eligibility of asserted claims; and a third reviews a finding of a firm’s conflict of interest. The nonprecedential opinion comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the judgments and dismissals.

Here is a report on recent news and commentary related to the Federal Circuit and its cases. Today we highlight:

• a blog post suggesting the “Federal Circuit has become, in the space of two years, one of the most consensus-oriented appellate courts in the federal system”;
• a blog post arguing a recent Federal Circuit decision seemed to deal with a “narrow administrative law issue,” but the “effect of the decision is far broader”;
• an article discussing how USPTO Director John Squires “issued numerous orders . . . holding that patent challenges should not move forward” because the challengers took “inconsistent claim construction positions” in court and at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board; and
• an article reporting how “more than 100 companies filed new lawsuits” since the Supreme Court “declared most of President Donald Trump’s global tariffs illegal.”

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, one nonprecedential opinion, and one nonprecedential order. The precedential opinion comes in a patent case and vacates a summary judgment of inequitable conduct and a summary judgment of no Walker Process fraud. The nonprecedential opinion comes in another patent case and affirms a summary judgement of patent ineligibility. The order dismisses an appeal. Here are the introductions to the opinions and a link to the dismissal.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one nonprecedential opinion and two errata. The opinion comes in an appeal of judgment of patent invalidity and a dismissal of breach-of-contract claims. It discusses when a claim’s preamble should be construed as limiting and addresses indefiniteness regarding spatial terms. Here is the introduction to the opinion and links to the errata.

Here is a report on recent news and commentary related to the Federal Circuit and its cases. Today we highlight:

• an article reporting how “President Donald Trump . . . tapped one of his White House lawyers to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of International Trade, a federal court that could prove pivotal in deciding tariff refunds if the Supreme Court strikes down some of the president’s duties”;
• an article discussing how the Supreme Court put President Trump’s tariff case “on a fast track at the administration’s urging” but doesn’t “seem in a rush to rule on the president’s signature economic program”;
• an article observing how, in late 2025, “the USPTO announced the creation” of a working group related to standard essential patents in “the latest effort of the USPTO to strengthen the ability of patent holders . . . to enforce their patent rights, including through injunctive relief”; and
• an article describing how “Apple Inc. couldn’t convince the Federal Circuit to block the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from implementing changes that make it harder to challenge the validity of patents.”

This morning, the Federal Circuit released two precedential opinions. One of the opinions comes in a patent cases addressing claim construction. The other also comes in a patent case, this one challenging instructions the Director of the Patent and Trademark Office had given to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board related to its authority to decline petitions for inter partes review. The court also released three nonprecedential opinions. The first comes in an appeal of a decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board; the second comes in a patent infringement case and addresses an award of enhanced damages; and the third comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Court of Federal Claims. The Federal Circuit also released nine nonprecedential orders. Three transfer matters; three dismiss appeals; one remands a case; and two deny petitions for writs of mandamus. Finally, the court also released a Rule 36 judgment. Here are the introductions to the opinions and orders other than dismissals, along with links to the dismissals and Rule 36 judgment.

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. This morning, the court released two precedential opinions, one nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal, and one Rule 36 judgment. One of the opinions addresses antitrust liability for unlawful tying in a patent infringement case; the other comes in an appeal of a decision of the Court of Federal Claims in a vaccine case. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the dismissals and the judgment.

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. This morning, the Federal Circuit released four nonprecedential opinions and three Rule 36 judgments. Two of the nonprecedential opinions come in patent infringement cases appealed from district courts, while the other two come in appeals of decisions of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the judgments and dismissal.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released six nonprecedential opinions and seven nonprecedential orders. Four of the opinions come in patent cases, including two appeals of decisions of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The fifth opinion comes in an appeal of a decision of the Court of Federal Claims, while the sixth opinion comes in an appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Five of the orders dismiss appeals while two transfer cases. Here are the introductions to the opinions and orders transferring cases and links to the dismissals.

No opinions and orders were released today in observance of the federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. Late Friday, two nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals were released. Here are links to the dismissals.