AGG Talks: Cross-Border Business Podcast - Episode 20: Mastering ITC Section 337 Investigations
U.S. International Trade Commission
Addressing a determination by its chief administrative law judge (CALJ) finding a violation of § 337, the US International Trade Commission reversed and held that the complainant had not satisfied the economic prong of the...more
Addressing a decision by the US International Trade Commission finding a violation of Section 337 based on importation of certain TV products, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit agreed that the patent holder had...more
Nonpracticing entities have been increasingly active at the U.S. International Trade Commission in recent years, bringing a record 32% of Section 337 Investigations in 2022. In a sense, the rise of NPEs at the ITC was by...more
The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) is a fast-paced, high-stakes forum for companies with significant U.S. operations and/or U.S. intellectual property rights. Broad in scope, Section 337 empowers the ITC...more
The International Trade Commission’s (“Commission”) majority and dissenting opinions in Certain In Vitro Fertilization Products, Components Thereof, and Products Containing the Same (“In Vitro Fertilization”) illustrate two...more
Last week, for the second time in two years, members of the House of Representatives proposed legislation limiting the ability of certain entities to file complaints for unfair trade practices at the U.S. International Trade...more
Last month, the Federal Circuit affirmed an exclusion order imposed by the International Trade Commission against Bio-Rad for importing infringing microfluidic systems and components used for gene sequencing or related...more
On March 31, 2020, the ITC issued an order denying Respondents’ request to use the Early Disposition Program. Certain Electronic Candle Products and Components Thereof, Inv. 337-TA-1195. The ITC concluded that the issue of...more
In a recently issued Commission Opinion, the ITC affirmed ALJ Bullock’s application of the Federal Circuit’s rule that a quantitative analysis must be performed in order to determine whether a complainant has satisfied the...more
In a recently issued Initial Determination, ALJ McNamara ruled that beer containers imported into the U.S. satisfied the domestic industry requirement when the Complainants were able to show significant domestic value-add....more
In a recent summary determination order, ALJ Bullock found that complainants cannot always rely on circumstantial evidence to satisfy the Section 337 importation requirement. Certain Height-Adjustable Desk Platforms and...more
In a recently issued Commission Opinion, the ITC affirmed the ALJ’s finding that the asserted claims of U.S. Patent No. 9,045,871 (the ’871 patent) are invalid as directed to an abstract idea. Certain Road Construction...more
A recent opinion by the Commission highlights the risk for defaulting at the ITC. The Commission reversed the ALJ’s finding of a violation as to the participating respondents but maintained that the defaulting respondent was...more
In a recent decision clarifying the legal standards of the International Trade Commission’s domestic industry requirement, the Commission has upheld, with modified reasoning, Chief Administrative Law Judge Bullock’s initial...more
Recently, Chief Administrative Law Judge (“CALJ”) Bullock of the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”), in Certain Carburetors and Products Containing Such Carburetors, Inv. No. 337-TA-1123, Order No. 77, suggested that...more
In a recent initial determination, Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) Cheney of the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) provided useful guidance for patentees by reaffirming that there is no categorical rule that patent...more
In a recent initial determination, Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) Cheney of the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) held that domestic industry products do not need to be commercially available to satisfy section...more
On April 26, 2019, Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) Lord clearly stated in Certain Intraoral Scanner and Related Hardware and Software that the International Trade Commission’s (“ITC”) jurisdictional authority extends to...more
In an earlier post related to this investigation, we discussed the ITC’s recommendation that a general exclusion order issue for products infringing Complainant National Products Inc.’s (“NPI”) patents after all named...more
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
In a recent order, ALJ McNamara denied Complainant SnapPower’s motion for summary determination that it satisfies the economic prong of the domestic industry requirement of 19 U.S.C. § 1337(a)(3). In re Certain Powered Cover...more
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
In a recent decision, the ITC rejected respondent’s argument that complainant did not meet its domestic industry (“DI”) requirements because of declining investments over the years leading up to the Complaint. In re Certain...more
In a recent opinion, the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) issued a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders (“CDOs”) directed towards Respondent Toshiba’s infringing products. Certain Non-Volatile Memory...more
In a recent opinion, the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) held that economic investments and activities related to patented pre-commercial and non-commercial articles can meet Section 337’s domestic industry...more