FedCircuitBlog

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

• an article discussing how an en banc petition “is drawing new attention to the question of when altered DNA becomes different enough from nature to be patented”;
• a blog post suggesting a recent Federal Circuit “opinion is a useful teaching vehicle on the patent/trade-secret interface”; and
• an article explaining how the “U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Artificial Intelligence Search Automated Pilot, or ASAP, program introduces earlier visibility into the prior art landscape by providing applicants with an automated search results notice prior to substantive examination.”

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. This morning the court released one nonprecedential opinion, two nonprecedential opinions, and another nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. The precedential opinion comes in an appeal of a jury finding of misappropriation of trade secrets, counterfeiting, breach of contract, and patent invalidity. One of the nonprecedential opinions comes in a companion case to the precedential opinion and discusses costs and attorneys’ fees. The other nonprecedential opinion comes in an appeal of a decision of the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the dismissals.