Drafting Patent Infringement Complaints: Avoiding the Trap of 'Model' Form 16 of the Federal Rules

Most attorneys follow model Form 16 in the Appendix of Forms to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”) when drafting patent infringement complaints. However, in unique factual situations, Form 16-style complaints may not be sufficient to survive Rule 12(b)(6) motions to dismiss and/or Rule 12(e) motions for a more definite statement. For instance, some courts have found complaints that fail to aver particular infringing products to lack the requisite specificity, especially when the asserted patent claims could be read to cover hundreds of a defendant's products. Failing to take these exceptions to the Form 16 standard into account can lead to unnecessary delay and work for the plaintiff (or, conversely, strategic opportunities for the defendant). This article discusses these unique situations, and how counsel may properly draft patent infringement complaints in order to survive Rule 12(b)(6) and Rule 12(e) motions.