Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Recognizing a Problem Is the First Step: Federal Circuit Acknowledges Unsettled Law, But Declines to Clarify

By Paul A. Ragusa and Edward R. Tempesta
March 29, 2006

The tort of induced patent infringement codified in 35 U.S.C. '271(b) is a powerful tool that patent owners can use when it is not feasible or practical to sue a direct infringer. In order to prove this claim, a patent owner must establish that 1) its claim is directly infringed by a third party, 2) that the defendant induced that third party to infringe, and 3) that the defendant possessed intent to encourage that party to infringe.

The precise level of intent that must be shown to hold a party liable, however, has been unclear at least since the Federal Circuit issued a pair of decisions in 1990, Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Bausch & Lomb, Inc., 909 F.2d 1464, 1469 (Fed. Cir. 1990) and Manville Sales Corp. v. Paramount Sys., Inc., 917 F.2d 544, 546-49 (Fed. Cir. 1990).

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.