Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

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

The Use of Market and Industry Data in Patent Damages: The Two Approaches under Federal Rule of Evidence 703

By Christine Byrd and Randall L. Jackson

Whether calculating lost profits or performing a 'reasonable royalty' analysis under the Georgia-Pacific factors, a damages expert in a patent case is required to consider a large variety of data ' not just data from the plaintiff or the defendant, but also data from third-party sources, such as trade industry publications or market analyst reports. The admissibility of an opinion based on third-party information, however, has been a source of conflict since 1993, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharms., Inc.

To be admissible, an expert opinion must overcome the twin hurdles of Federal Rules of Evidence 702 and 703. Rule 702, 'Testimony by Experts,' sets forth the trial court's 'gatekeeper' function for expert testimony as required by the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharms., Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993) (regarding scientific expert testimony), and Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137 (1999) (extending Daubert's holding to all expert testimony). However, Rule 703, 'Bases of Opinion Testimony by Experts,' was not the subject of either decision. While some trial courts have treated the two rules as if they shared a single standard, others have recognized them as entirely distinct. These conflicting approaches have resulted in inconsistent opinions on the use of market or industry data. Nowhere are these conflicting approaches more important than in patent damages analyses, where the case law requires the expert to consider the very data that some trial courts have rejected.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
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.

Judge Rules Shaquille O'Neal Will Face Securities Lawsuit for Promotion, Sale of NFTs Image

A federal district court in Miami, FL, has ruled that former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal will have to face a lawsuit over his promotion of unregistered securities in the form of cryptocurrency tokens and that he was a "seller" of these unregistered securities.

Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.

Coverage Issues Stemming from Dry Cleaner Contamination Suits Image

In recent years, there has been a growing number of dry cleaners claiming to be "organic," "green," or "eco-friendly." While that may be true with respect to some, many dry cleaners continue to use a cleaning method involving the use of a solvent called perchloroethylene, commonly known as perc. And, there seems to be an increasing number of lawsuits stemming from environmental problems associated with historic dry cleaning operations utilizing this chemical.