Featured / Symposia

Online Symposium: Forum Selling and Legitimate Authority in the Patent System

Guest Post by Greg Reilly

For over a decade, patent litigation has been surprisingly concentrated in a single federal district court. At one time, almost half of the nation’s patent litigation occurred in small towns in eastern Texas.1 Now, 20% of patent litigation occurs before a single judge based in Waco, Texas.2 This concentration of patent litigation is not the result of the inherent characteristics of these districts but instead of the affirmative efforts of particular judges to attract patent cases to their courthouses.3 Scholarly commentary of this forum selling and patent litigation concentration, including by myself, has been largely critical.4 The primary objection is that the districts and judges competing for patent litigation improperly skew procedures in favor of the patentees who make the forum choice.5

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Supreme Court Activity

Recent Supreme Court Activity

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. Five new petitions were filed with the Court–four in patent cases and one in a pro se case. Additionally, the respondents in two different patent cases filed their briefs in opposition, while the Court requested a response to a petition in a government contract case. Upon the parties’ request, the Court dismissed Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. v. Illumina Inc.. Finally, the Court denied two other petitions, one in a trademark case and one in a patent case.

Here are the details.

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Supreme Court Activity

Recent Supreme Court Activity

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

  • The Court invited the Acting Solicitor General to file a brief in American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. v. Neapco Holdings LLC, a patent case presenting questions related to eligibility.
  • Five new petitions were filed in patent, veterans, Tucker Act, and trademark cases.
  • Seventeen new briefs in opposition were filed in sixteen cases.
  • Five new reply briefs were filed.
  • One supplemental brief was filed.
  • One amicus brief was filed in a patent case.
  • Five waivers of right to respond were submitted.
  • The Court denied eight petitions.

Here are the details.

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Featured / Symposia

Online Symposium: Prof. Osenga’s Top 2020 Federal Circuit Patent Decisions

Guest Post by Kristen Osenga

In any given year, the Federal Circuit covers a wide spectrum of issues in patent law, and 2020 was no different. Of course, a lot about 2020 was different — including seeing the Court hold (and now livestream) telephonic arguments — but most of the patent cases decided were similar in type to other years . . . a little patent-eligible subject matter, a little jurisdiction and venue, a case about infringement of standard essential patents, and a bit of deciding what the Patent Trial and Appeal Board can and cannot do. There were no real blockbuster cases in 2020 (other than maybe the Arthrex denial of rehearing, more on that later). This could be due to the pandemic, or maybe it is a sign that patent law is settling in for a bit. Of course, that does not mean the law has settled in the right place, but that is a different issue for a different day.

For today, a few cases are worth highlighting from the Federal Circuit’s 2020 patent opinions. To be clear, this is not an exhaustive review, but rather simply a short selection noting some of the more important patent cases decided last year.

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Petitions / Supreme Court Activity

Recent Supreme Court Activity

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

Here are the details.

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Petitions / Supreme Court Activity

Recent Supreme Court Activity

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

Here are the details.

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News

Recent News on the Federal Circuit

Here’s the latest.

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En Banc Activity / Petitions

Recent En Banc Activity

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit. Highlights include a sua sponte grant of an en banc hearing in a veterans case, the filing of the government’s brief in another veterans case in which the court previously granted an en banc hearing, a new petition raising questions related to patent claim construction, the denial of a petition raising questions related to injunctive relief, and the denial of a petition in a pro se case. Here are the details.

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En Banc Activity / Opinions

Opinion Summary – Illumina, Inc. v. Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc.

As we previously reported, yesterday the Federal Circuit issued a modified panel opinion in Illumina, Inc. v. Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc., a patent case we have been tracking because Ariosa Diagnostics filed a petition for rehearing en banc. In the modified panel opinion, Judges Lourie and Moore maintained their original position, reversing the district court, which had held that the claims at issue were not directed to patent-eligible subject matter. While the modified panel opinion did not change the holding of the court, it did more explicitly lay out the facts of the case that affected the court’s reasoning. Judge Reyna still dissented, but also issued a modified opinion. Here is a summary of the modified opinions.

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Opinions

Opinions & Orders – August 3, 2020

This morning the Federal Circuit issued three precedential opinions in patent cases, along with two related nonprecedential orders. In one of these cases, Illumina, Inc. v. Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc., a panel of the court withdrew and replaced its prior opinions addressing patent eligibility. In addition to these patent cases, the court also issued nonprecedential opinions in two veterans cases and a nonprecedential opinion in a trademark case. Here are the introductions to the opinions and text from the orders.

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