In another example of why defaulting at the ITC can be a dangerous strategy, the ITC recently found all eight named respondents in default and concluded a general exclusion order (GEO) was the appropriate remedy. Since the...more
The Situation: In a Hatch-Waxman litigation, the claims recite oxymorphone with less than 0.001% of an impurity called 14-hydroxymorphinone. The prior art includes confidential communications from the FDA to oxymorphone...more
5/31/2019
/ America Invents Act ,
Confidential Communications ,
Derivation Proceeding ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hatch-Waxman ,
Obviousness ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Section 102
On February 14, 2019, the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) issued an Initial Determination (“ID”) in the matter of Certain Road Construction Machines and Components Thereof, Inv. 337-TA-1088. In the ID, ALJ Lord...more
The Supreme Court unanimously finds that the AIA's "on sale" statutory language did not alter the pre-AIA "on-sale" bar.
On January 22, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the America Invents Act ("AIA") did not change...more
1/28/2019
/ America Invents Act ,
Appeals ,
Assignment of Inventions ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Helsinn Healthcare SA v Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc ,
Inventions ,
On-Sale Bar ,
Patent Applications ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Public Use ,
Reaffirmation ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 102 ,
Third-Party Relationships
A recent initial determination (“ID”) from the ITC resulted in a general exclusion order for products infringing several patents belonging to Complainant National Products Inc. (“NPI”). Certain Mounting Apparatuses For...more
We previously noted that the Commission does not believe it is required to vacate a civil penalty order just because the litigants settle a case. The Federal Circuit’s decision in DBN Holdings, Inc. v. ITC, No. 17-2128 (Fed....more
The ITC recently indicated that 19 U.S.C. 1337(a)(2) does not require that a domestic industry product be sold before a complaint is filed for a domestic industry to exist. See Certain Road Construction Machines and...more
Any person or entity may file an IPR proceeding to invalidate a patent, regardless of whether it faces a specific threat of infringement. An adverse decision in an IPR proceeding is appealable only to the Federal Circuit....more
In a recent order, Administrative Law Judge Shaw denied in part the Respondents’ Motion to Supplement their Notice of Prior Art. In re Certain Strontium-Rubidium Radioisotope Infusion Systems, And Components Thereof Including...more
In a recent decision, the Commission overruled the ALJ to clarify, and ultimately expand, the universe of investments that complainants can use to meet the economic prong of the domestic industry (“DI”) requirement. Certain...more
8/6/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Domestic Industry Requirement ,
Initial Determination (ID) ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Investment ,
Manufacturers ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Research and Development ,
Section 337
While patent decisions from the ITC do not have collateral estoppel effects on later district court cases, other ITC decisions may create collateral estoppel. In a case of first impression, a district court recently ruled...more
On February 14, 2018, the Commission affirmed ALJ Pender’s initial determination of non-infringement but based on modified grounds related to the construction of the claim term “single-molecule sequencing.” In re Certain...more
In a recent order, the Commission again declined to institute an Early Disposition Pilot Program (100-day Pilot Program), this time citing the complexity of the issues raised in the request. In the Matter of Certain...more
Following up on a previous post, Administrative Law Judge Bullock recently granted Respondents Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Fujifilm Corporation, Fujifilm Holdings America Corporation, and Fujifilm Recording Media U.S.A.,...more
In a recent order, Administrative Law Judge Lord denied Respondents CSL Behring LLC, CSL Behring GMBH, and CSL Behring Recombinant Facility AG (“CSL Behring”) motion to compel discovery from Complainants Bioverativ Inc.,...more
1/2/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Discovery ,
Inequitable Conduct ,
Motion to Compel ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent-in-Suit ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Section 337 ,
USPTO
In two recent orders, the Commission denied respondents’ requests for entry into its Early Disposition Pilot Program (100-day Pilot Program). It has now been over two years since the ITC issued its proposed rulemaking for the...more
In a recent Order, ALJ McNamara clarified that while diagrams drawn by an expert depicting the interplay and hierarchy of relevant code modules, inputs, and outputs of source code are to be treated as confidential business...more
11/13/2017
/ Addendums ,
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Confidential Business Information (CBI) ,
Discovery ,
Discovery Disputes ,
Expert Testimony ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Software Patents ,
Source Code
The ITC has dealt a significant blow to the use of Inter Partes Review as a defense to a Section 337 investigation. In an order issued this week, the Commission denied a request to stay remedial orders that are currently on...more
7/28/2017
/ Appeals ,
Cease and Desist Orders ,
Cisco ,
Exclusion Orders ,
Final Written Decisions ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Invalidity ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patent Validity ,
Patents ,
Section 337 ,
USPTO
A recent ITC enforcement decision highlights the importance of redesigns as an effective strategy for Respondents at the ITC....more
7/25/2017
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Cease and Desist Orders ,
Exclusion Orders ,
Initial Determination (ID) ,
Injunctions ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Redesigned Products ,
Reversal ,
Sanctions ,
Section 337
Certain Access Control Systems and Components Thereof, Inv. No. 337-TA-1016 (May 31, 2017), is a good lesson in covering all your bases. Relying on a non-infringement decision by ALJ Pender, respondents assumed that they did...more
6/7/2017
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Anticipatory Reference ,
Discovery ,
Evidence ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Noninfringement ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Prior Art ,
Remand ,
Summary Judgment
In re Certain Network Devices, Related Software and Components Thereof (I), Inv. No. 337-TA-944 (ITC Comm’n Apr. 19, 2017), is a surprisingly rare opinion addressing a common issue: When should the ITC redact a portion of an...more
4/28/2017
/ Appeals ,
Burden of Proof ,
Confidential Information ,
Final Written Decisions ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Proprietary Information ,
Redaction ,
Remand ,
Section 337 ,
Trade Secrets
We previously wrote about the ITC’s determination in Certain Semiconductor Devices, Semiconductor Device Packages, and Products Containing the Same, Inv. No. 337-TA-1010 that renting accused products after importation does...more
In SCA Hygiene Products v. First Quality Baby Products, decided on March 21, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court significantly reduced the role of the laches defense in patent actions: "Laches cannot be interposed as a defense...more
3/25/2017
/ Appeals ,
Damages ,
Defense Strategies ,
Equitable Estoppel ,
Laches ,
Patent Act ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Petrella v. MGM ,
SCA Hygiene Products Aktiebolag v First Quality Baby Products ,
SCOTUS ,
Separation of Powers ,
Statute of Limitations
Judge Pender issued Order No. 19 in Certain Access Control Systems and Components Thereof, Inv. No. 337-TA-1016, denying Complainant The Chamberlain Group’s (“CGI”) motion for summary determination that the accused products...more
As previously reported, the Commission recently granted U.S. Steel’s request for an oral hearing in Certain Carbon and Alloy Steel, Inv. No. 337-TA-1002. This was only the second oral argument granted in a Section 337 case in...more