Fresh From the Bench: Latest Federal Circuit Court Cases
Contributed by Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt. Originally published on Patexia; republished here as part of the LexDana archive.
The Federal Circuit issued only one precedential patent decision last week. However, on Friday, the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision on extraterritorial damages in WesternGeco LLC v. ION Geophysical Corp., Appeal No. 16-1011 (June 22, 2018). Read our write-up on that case here.
Sirona Dental Systems GMBH v. Institut Straumann AG, Appeal Nos. 2017-1341, -1403 (Fed. Cir. June 19, 2018)
In an appeal from an inter partes review, the Federal Circuit addressed a motion to amend in one of its first precedential opinions since its en banc opinion in Aqua Products, Inc. v. Matal.
Petitioners Insitut Straumann AG and Dental Wings, Inc. sought inter partes review of patent claims relating to “a method for producing a drill assistance device,” used to place a pilot hole for a tooth implant.
Petitioners asserted four grounds of unpatentability, including that claims 1-10 of the patent-at-issue were obvious based on the combination of two prior art references. The Board determined that claims 1-8 were obvious, and Patent Owner Sirona Dental Systems GMBH appealed. Petitioner cross-appealed regarding the unpatentability of the remaining claims. The Federal Circuit affirmed the unpatentability of claims 1-8, and it concluded that Petitioners failed to demonstrate that claims 9-10 were unpatentable.
Written by: Scott D. Eads and Nika F. Aldrich, Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt
Contributor: Angela Addae
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