“Common Sense” Alone Is Not a Sufficient Motivation to Combine References In In Re: Van Os, Appeal No. 2015-1975, the Federal Circuit held that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s…

Read the English Version   专利审判与上诉委员会(PTAB)在多方审查程序(IPR)方面的最终书面决议必须阐明合并参考资料的动机基础 在In Re: Nuvasive, Inc.一案（上诉案件编号：2015-1670）中，联邦巡回法院推翻了专利审判与上诉委员会对IPR的显而易见性裁定，发回专利审判与上诉委员会再审以作出必要的事实裁定，并针对本领域普通技术人员（POSITA）为何会有动机结合现有技术参考文献而给予合理解释。 专利审判与上诉委员会启动美敦力（Medtronic）针对NuVasive有关脊柱融合植入物的专利的IPR，并签发最终书面决议，结论为：该权利要求相较于三篇现有技术参考文献是显而易见的。 在上诉程序中，联邦巡回法院认为最终书面决议未能充分解释本领域普通技术人员将一篇参考文献中所披露的不透射线标记物位置与另一篇参考文献的脊椎植入物相结合的动机，驳回了专利审判与上诉委员会作出的显而易见性裁定。联邦巡回法院发现，专利审判与上诉委员会的分析仅限于当事人的论点摘要，专利审判与上诉委员会始终没有提供采纳美敦力观点的理由，且未能清晰阐述结合参考文献的任何动机。联邦法院还认定，专利审判与上诉委员会不恰当地信赖了美敦力专家证人提供的结论性证词-即本领域普通技术人员“就会认为这是常识”，从而将不透射线标记物置于该权利要求所要求的位置。因此，联邦巡回法院对此予以驳回，并发回专利审判与上诉委员会再审以作出另外的裁定和解释。     诱导侵权判定需提供实际诱导证明 在Power Integrations, Inc.诉Fairchild Semiconductor Intl.一案（上诉案件编号：2015-1329、2015-1388）中，联邦巡回法院认为，只有被控侵权方实际诱导了第三方直接侵权者，才可判定为诱导侵权。此外，联邦法院认为，裁定令权利要求限制无效时，依据等同原则的侵权不成立。 Power Integrations和Fairchild互相控诉了有关电源的多项专利。在责任区分审判中，陪审团作出了侵权和有效性的综合裁决。当事人在上诉辩护中共提出了12个问题，其中包括依据等同原则的诱导侵权和权利要求无效。 联邦巡回法院驳回了陪审团作出的Fairchild存在诱导侵权的裁定。陪审团指示不当地陈述了在证明存在诱导侵权时，无需证明Fairchild的行为实际造成直接侵权，相反，该指示声明，只需证明Fairchild教唆或协助侵权，而无论该教唆是否成功。联邦巡回法院认为，应该向陪审团说明，Power Integrations必须证明Fairchild成功地与第三方直接侵权者进行了沟通并进行诱导。 联邦巡回法院还驳回了陪审团作出的根据等同原则Power Integrations侵犯了Fairchild专利的裁定。所主张的权利要求需要两个不同的反馈信号。陪审团没有发现字面上的侵权，意味着被控产品只有一个反馈信号。联邦巡回法院认为，陪审团根据等同原则作出的侵权裁定使得所主张的第二反馈信号“不同”于第一反馈信号的关键要求变得无效。     广义的Akamai V分离式侵权标准仍需证明存在潜在直接侵权…

Partner Brent Babcock, Chair of the firm’s USPTO Trials & Post-Grant Proceedings group, was quoted in “Patent Ruling for Crispr Gene Editing Favors the Broad Institute,” an article published in…

Partner Brent Babcock, Chair of the firm’s USPTO Trials & Post-Grant Proceedings group, was quoted in “Editas breathes sigh of relief as CRISPR ruling handed down,” an article published in…

Knobbe Martens is pleased to announce that partner Susan Natland, has been selected as the exclusive winner of the 2017 International Law Office (ILO) “Client Choice Award” in the Intellectual…

San Diego Partner Kerry Taylor was quoted in “Once A Mystery, PTAB Remands Start To Take Shape,” an article published in Law360.   Excerpt: It’s been almost five years since…

Attorneys Kerry Taylor and Daniel Kamkar authored “IPR Appeals: Pendency And Success Rates At Fed. Circ.,” which was published in Law360.  Read the full article on Law360’s website >> (subscription required)

Knobbe Martens is pleased to announce that BTI Consulting Group has named two partners, John Sganga and Jonathan Hyman, “Client Service All-Stars” for their superior client service in IP Litigation…

Attorneys Kerry Taylor  and Clayton Henson authored “IPR Appeals: Outcomes In Fed. Circ. Remands To PTAB,” which was published in Law360.  Read the full article on Law360’s website >> (subscription required)

PTAB’s Final Written Decision in IPR Must Explain Its Basis for a Motivation to Combine References In In Re: Nuvasive, Inc., Appeal No. 2015-1670, the Federal Circuit vacated the PTAB’s…