FedCircuitBlog

Here is a report on recent news and commentary related to the Federal Circuit and its cases. Today’s report highlights:

• a blog post indicating a recent Federal Circuit opinion provided a “fascinating exploration of three distinct doctrines of equivalence in patent law”;
• another blog post suggesting the USPTO sits “at an inflection point that requires us to build examination capacity to achieve . . . long-term pendency goals”;
• an article discussing how President Trump’s decisions to mandate “a hiring freeze across the federal government” and require “federal government employees come back to the Office five days per week” might impact the USPTO; and
• a news update analyzing how the “Skinny Labels, Big Savings Act, introduced at the end of last year and reintroduced this month in the new Congress,” is seeking to “protect generic-drug makers from patent suits when using so-called skinny labels.”

Late the last two days, the Federal Circuit released nonprecedential orders dismissing cases. Additionally, this morning the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion in a patent case on appeal from the District of Delaware and three nonprecedential opinions. Two of the nonprecedential opinions come in patent cases, while the third comes in a veterans case.  Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the orders.

Today, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, three nonprecedential opinions, and three nonprecedential orders. The precedential opinion comes in an appeal from the Patent and Trademark Office and addresses whether a patent is unpatentable as anticipated by, or obvious in view of, asserted prior art.  One of the nonprecedential opinions involves a pro se litigant seeking review of a final decision of the Merit System Protection Board. The second nonprecedential opinion, also litigated pro se, addresses an alleged violation of the First Amendment. The final nonprecedential opinion involves an appeal from a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision regarding the patentability of claims. The three nonprecedential orders deny petitions for writs of mandamus. Here are the introductions to the opinions and orders.

Late Friday and this morning, the Federal Circuit released six nonprecedential orders. One transfers an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, one grants a motion to dismiss an appeal subject to reinstatement, and four dismiss appeals. The Federal Circuit also released a Rule 36 judgment and an erratum. Here is text from the orders and links to the dismissals, Rule 36 judgment, and erratum.

This morning the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential opinion in a patent case appealed from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The Federal Circuit also released two nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. Here is the introduction to the opinion and links to the dismissals.

This morning the Federal Circuit released three nonprecedential opinions. The first comes in a veterans case appealed from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The second and third come in cases addressing the jurisdiction of the Court of Federal Claims. Finally, the Court issued a nonprecedential order granting a voluntary dismissal late yesterday. Here are the introductions to the opinions and order.