In Maxell, Ltd. v. Amperex Technology Limited, 2023-1194 (Fed. Cir. Mar. 6, 2024), the Federal Circuit reaffirms that a patent claim that includes narrowing limitations requiring only some elements of a Markush group recited...more
On March 18, 2024, the US Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) issued a memorandum to patent examiners addressing means-plus-function and step-plus-function claim limitations and how to clearly articulate, in the prosecution...more
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officials recently reiterated to all patent examiners that they must provide clear, consistent analysis regarding means-plus-function and step-plus-function limitations. ...more
In analyzing patent obviousness, how “simple” must the relevant technology be in order for “common sense” to supply a limitation missing in the prior art? Ever since the Supreme Court referenced “common sense” five times...more
The Federal Circuit has affirmed a decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) finding unpatentable certain claims of a patent for making semiconductor devices. The case is Bell Semiconductor LLC v....more
In a precedential opinion, the Federal Circuit affirmed two Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) patentability decisions, holding that the PTAB did not abuse its discretion by not addressing arguments not clearly presented...more
Absent exceptional circumstances, the Federal Circuit will generally not consider arguments that a party failed to present in the tribunal under review. In Netflix, Inc. v. DivX, LLC, the Federal Circuit held that IPR...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed that challenged claims were invalid as anticipated based on principles of inherency where the disclosed prior art formulations and processes necessarily met a disputed...more
The Supreme Court's (re)consideration of the enablement requirement expected in its decision later this year in Amgen v. Sanofi may be the most closely watched patent case since AMP v. Myriad Genetics. But in a decision...more
Case Name: Bausch Health Ireland Ltd. v. Padagis Israel Pharms. Ltd., No. CV 20-5426 (SRC), 2022 WL 17352334 (D.N.J. Dec. 1, 2022) (Chesler, J.) Drug Products and Patent(s)-in-Suit: Duobrii® (halobetasol...more
Case Name: Arius Two, Inc. v. Alvogen PB Rsch. & Dev. LLC, No. 2022-1394, 2022 WL 17828352 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 21, 2022) (Circuit Judges Chen, Clevenger, and Cunningham presiding; Opinion by Chen, J.) (Appeal from D. Del.,...more
A new year means new Federal Circuit decisions to analyze. Our case of the week recounts an interesting saga of companies copying each other’s patent applications to provoke an interference. And if that’s not enough to grab...more
Case Name: Tris Pharma, Inc. v. Teva Pharms. USA, Inc., Civ. No. 20-5212 (KM)(ESK) (D.N.J. Aug. 16, 2022) (McNulty, J.) Drug Product and Patent(s)-in-Suit: QuilliChew ER® (methylphenidate); U.S. Patents Nos. 9,545,399 (“the...more
Case Name: Chiesi USA, Inc. v. Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc., Civ. No. 19-18756, 2022 WL 3703207 (D.N.J. Aug. 16, 2022) (Quraishi, J.) Drug Product and Patent(s)-in-Suit: Cleviprex® (clevidipine injectable emulsions); U.S....more
Case Name: Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma Ltd. v. Teva Pharms. USA, Inc., Civ. No. 18-390 (MN), 2022 WL 3562555 (D. Del. Aug. 18, 2022) (Noreika, J.) Drug Product and Patent(s)-in-Suit: Velphoro® (sucroferric...more
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board denied a petition to institute inter partes review, finding there was no reasonable likelihood that petitioners would prevail on their obviousness challenges. In rendering its decision, the...more
Provisur Technologies, Inc. v. Weber, Inc., Appeal Nos. 2021-1942, -1975 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 27, 2022) - In this week’s Case of the Week, the Federal Circuit reviewed an IPR decision and addressed the Patent Trial and Appeal...more
The consequences of expressly recited claim limitations and how patentees can be held to these limitations was illustrated in the Federal Circuit's recent decision in Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. v. Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ...more
Case Name: Novartis Pharms. Corp. v. Accord Healthcare, Inc., No. 2021-1070, 2022 WL 2204163 (Fed. Cir. June 21, 2022) (Circuit Judges Moore, Linn, and Hughes presiding; Opinion by Moore, J.; Dissenting Opinion by Linn, J.)...more
Almost four years ago, in a relatively rare occurrence based on there being an insufficient factual record to permit proper appellate review, the Federal Circuit vacated a District Court decision rendering invalid the claims...more
On June 21, 2022, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”), in Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. v. Accord Healthcare, Inc., granted petition for panel rehearing, vacated its prior decision, and reversed the...more
Addressing the issue of negative claim limitations, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted a petition for panel rehearing, vacated its prior decision (authored by now-retired Judge O’Malley) and reversed the...more
The Federal Circuit recently granted a panel rehearing and vacated a panel decision between these parties decided earlier this year (see Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. v. Accord Healthcare), and rendered a decision that...more
When a claim term is construed as a means plus function limitation, the recited “means” is limited to only the specific structures disclosed in the specification for performing the recited function, and a limited range of...more
Case Name: Novartis Pharms. Corp. v. Accord Healthcare, Inc., No. 2021-1070, 2022 WL 16759 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 3, 2022) (Circuit Judges Moore, Linn, and O’Malley presiding; Opinion by O’Malley, J.; Dissenting Opinion by Moore,...more