Opinions

Opinions & Orders – April 20, 2022

This morning the Federal Circuit issued two nonprecedential opinions. The first comes in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Notably, Judge Stoll wrote a separate opinion in this case concurring-in-part and dissenting-in-part. The second opinion comes in a veterans case appealed from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Finally, the Federal Circuit issued two nonprecedential orders this morning and late yesterday. The first summarily affirms a decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board denying registration of a trademark, while the second grants an unopposed motion to voluntarily dismiss a case. Here are the introductions of the opinions and orders.

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Panel Activity / Petitions

Recent En Banc Activity

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit in patent cases. The court received four new responses to petitions raising questions related to choice of law, forum selection clauses, and injunctive relief; the process and standard for determining indefiniteness; and the standard for granting a motion to seal court records. The court also denied two petitions raising questions related to the on sale bar and claim construction. Here are the details.

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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 in patent cases. The court received four new petitions raising questions related to the scope of usable prior art in inter partes review proceedings, motivation to combine prior art references, and the presumption of nexus in a non-obviousness analysis. The court received a response to a petition raising questions related to claim construction and a response to a motion to expedite issuance of the mandate in a case raising questions related to choice of law, forum selection clauses, and injunctive relief. The court also invited a response to the petition already mentioned that raised a question related to motivation to combine prior art references. Finally, the court denied three petitions raising questions related to claim construction and the written description requirement. Here are the details.

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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 in patent cases. The court received three new petitions raising questions related to choice of law, forum selection clauses, and injunctive relief; the on-sale bar; and the standard for granting a motion to seal court records. The court also invited a response to a petition raising a question related to claim construction. Finally, the court received a motion to expedite issuance of a mandate and ordered a response to the motion in the previously-mentioned case raising questions related to choice of law, forum selection clauses, and injunctive relief. Here are the details.

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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 in patent cases. The court received two new petitions raising questions related to claim construction; a new response to a petition raising questions related to an alleged conflict of interest and summary affirmances; and a new amicus brief in support of a petition raising a question related to the written description requirement. Finally the court denied a petition for rehearing en banc raising questions related to inducement of infringement and an evidentiary rule. Here are the details.

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Opinions

Opinions & Orders – January 19, 2022

This morning the Federal Circuit issued a precedential opinion in a whistleblower retaliation case appealed from the Merit Systems Protection Board. The court also issued three nonprecedential opinions. The first comes in a veterans case appealed from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The second comes in an employment case appealed from the Merit Systems Protection Board. And the third comes in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Notably, Judge Stoll dissented-in-part from the holding in the patent case. The court also issued a nonprecedential order granting a petition for a writ of mandamus, ordering the Eastern District of Texas to require transfer of a patent case. Finally, the court issued two Rule 36 judgments. Here are the introductions to the opinions and order and links to the Rule 36 judgments.

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