GS CleanTech v. Adkins Energy was decided on March 2, 2020 on appeal from the Northern District of Illinois. The Patents-in-Suit are “directed to the recovery of oil from a dry mill ethanol plant’s byproduct, called thin stillage.” The district court determined on summary judgment that defendant Adkins did not …
To prevail on the defense of inequitable conduct, the accused infringer must prove that the applicant misrepresented or omitted material information with the specific intent to deceive the PTO. Therasense v. Becton, Dickinson and Co. (en banc). The accused infringer must prove both elements — intent and materiality — by clear and convincing evidence. Id. A district court should not use a …
Rembrandt v. Comcast was decided on July 27, 2018 on appeal from the District of Delaware. After several years of litigation by plaintiff Rembrandt “against dozens of cable companies, cable equipment manufacturers, and broadcast networks,” the district court “entered final judgment against Rembrandt as to all claims.” After an adverse claim construction, …
Energy Heating v. Heat On-The-Fly was decided on May 4, 2018 on appeal from the District of North Dakota. Before trial, the district court granted summary judgment in declaratory plaintiff Energy’s favor, dismissing some of declaratory defendant Heat’s infringement claims, and finding Heat’s asserted patent obvious. The jury found liability under …
Regeneron v. Merus was decided on July 27, 2017 on appeal from the Southern District of New York. There, the district court held the asserted patent invalid because of plaintiff Regeneron’s inequitable conduct during prosecution. The district court first found that Regeneron withheld four references from the USPTO that were material. (The withheld references …
U.S. Water v. Novozymes was decided on December 15, 2016 on appeal from the Western District of Wisconsin. The patents relate to the production of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) from milled grain. The district court held the asserted claims invalid as inherently anticipated, and denied defendant Novozymes’s summary judgment motion as to inequitable conduct. The …
TransWeb v. 3M was decided on February 10, 2016 on appeal from the District of New Jersey. Prior than one year before the priority date of the asserted patents, defendant TransWeb’s founder handed out samples (that were arguably prior art) at an industry exposition. The jury found plaintiff 3M’s patents invalid …