FedCircuitBlog

This week is Court Week at the Federal Circuit. In total, the court will convene 14 panels to consider 64 cases. Of these 64 cases, the court will hear oral arguments in 50. The Federal Circuit is providing access to live audio of these arguments via the Federal Circuit’s YouTube channel. This month, five cases scheduled for oral argument attracted amicus briefs. Here’s what you need to know about these five cases.

Five cases being argued in March at the Federal Circuit attracted amicus briefs. One of these cases is Celanese International Corporation v. International Trade Commission. In it, the Federal Circuit will review a determination by the International Trade Commission that, under the post-America Invents Act on-sale bar provision, the sale of products made by a secret process invalidates a subsequently-filed patent application on that process. This is our argument preview.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released two precedential opinions, four nonprecedential opinions, and two Rule 36 summary affirmances. One of the precedential opinions addresses an appeal from a final written decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in a post-grant review, which held certain claims unpatentable as obvious or lacking written description. The other precedential opinion addresses an appeal from a judgment of the Court of Federal Claims and addresses an assertion by the government of a right to practice a patent and have a patent practiced on its behalf under a provision of a Bayh-Dole Act. Two of the nonprecedential opinions address jurisdiction, one affirms the rejection of proposed patent claims for being directed to patent-ineligible subject matter, and one affirms the dismissal of a complaint due to the claims being timebarred. Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit also released five nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the dismissals and summary affirmances.

Here is an update 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 four new cases that attracted amicus briefs: three patent cases and a case concerning the jurisdiction of the Merit System Protection Board. Additionally, we identified a new amicus brief filed in a patent case and highlight recent oral arguments in another patent case. Here are the details.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion. It addresses an appeal from a final determination from the International Trade Commission in a patent matter. Here is the introduction to the opinion.

Here is an update 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 new briefing in a patent case and recent oral arguments in a trademark case, a veterans case, and a takings case. Here are the details.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion in a patent case and six nonprecedential opinions in pro se cases. The court also released five nonprecedential orders: five summary affirm appeals and one grants a dismissal. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the orders.

Here is an update 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 two recent opinions in cases that attracted amicus briefs: one a patent case and one a trade case; three new cases we have identified that attracted amicus briefs: a takings case, a trademark case, and a veterans case; and new briefing in several cases that previously attracted amicus briefs: a new response brief in a patent case, two new reply briefs in patent cases, and supplemental briefing in a pro se case. Here are the details.

Here is an update 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, a reply brief in another patent case, oral arguments in a takings case and a pro se case, and an opinion in a patent case. Here are the details.

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit in patent cases. As for the only pending en banc case, addressing design patent law’s non-obviousness requirement, three amicus curiae briefs were filed in support of appellants, and three amicus curiae briefs were filed in support of neither party. As for petitions, highlights include a new petition presenting a question related to inducement of infringement and two denials in other patent cases. Here are the details.