Federal Circuit IP Digest
Genetically Engineered Host Cells Are Not “Nature’s Handiwork,” Federal Circuit Rules
February 20, 2026
REGENXBIO INC. v. SAREPTA THERAPEUTICS, INC. Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit reversed a district court decision that had invalidated claims of U.S. Patent No. 10,526,617 as patent-ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The patent, owned by REGENXBIO…
Read MorePatent Owner’s Shortcut Through a Complex Circuit Leads to Dead End on Infringement
February 19, 2026
GENUINE ENABLING TECHNOLOGY LLC v. SONY GROUP CORPORATION Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky When a patent claim uses “means-plus-function” language, it doesn’t describe a specific physical structure. Instead, it describes a *function*, and the patent’s specification fills in the blanks…
Read MoreFederal Circuit Illuminates the Line Between Expert Admissibility and Credibility in $42 Million Christmas Tree Patent Verdict
February 17, 2026
WILLIS ELECTRIC CO., LTD. v. POLYGROUP LTD. Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit affirmed a $42.5 million jury verdict in a patent dispute over pre-lit artificial Christmas trees, providing important guidance on when expert testimony on damages should…
Read MoreMagnets Bonded to Plastic Escape Trade Duties by Losing Their Flex
February 17, 2026
MAGNUM MAGNETICS CORP. v. US Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit recently affirmed that plastic shelf dividers containing magnets are not subject to antidumping and countervailing duty orders covering “raw flexible magnets” from China. The case centered on…
Read MoreGrammar Rules Win the Day in Streaming Patent Dispute
February 13, 2026
NETFLIX, INC. v. DIVX, LLC Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit recently reversed a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision in a case involving U.S. Patent No. 10,225,588, which covers systems for streaming partially encrypted media content. The…
Read MoreNo Notice-and-Comment Required for PTO’s IPR Institution Guidelines, Federal Circuit Rules
February 13, 2026
APPLE INC. v. SQUIRES Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky When technology giants Apple, Cisco, Google, and Intel challenged the Patent and Trademark Office’s instructions for declining inter partes review (IPR) petitions, they argued the agency should have followed formal notice-and-comment…
Read MorePatent Holder Loses Antitrust Challenge After Tying Product Purchases to License Agreements
February 11, 2026
INGEVITY CORPORATION v. BASF CORPORATION Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit recently upheld a multimillion-dollar antitrust verdict against a patent holder who conditioned patent licenses on customers’ exclusive purchase of its products. The case centered on carbon honeycombs—activated…
Read MoreStreaming Patent Claims Ruled Abstract Despite Technical-Sounding Language
February 9, 2026
GOTV STREAMING, LLC v. NETFLIX, INC. Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit handed Netflix a complete victory in a patent dispute involving technology for delivering video content to mobile devices. GoTV Streaming owned three related patents describing methods…
Read MoreCourt Dismisses Confidentiality Dispute as Moot After Cat was Already Out of the Bag
February 2, 2026
In Re US (CIT Confidentiality) Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal over the disclosure of allegedly confidential business information, ruling that the case was moot because the information had already been public for over two…
Read MoreFederal Circuit Says Trade Commission Can’t Keep Everything Secret
February 2, 2026
In Re US (CIT Redaction) Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed that the International Trade Commission cannot automatically stamp “confidential” on every questionnaire response it receives during trade investigations. The…
Read MoreFederal Circuit Says Massage Device Designs Are “Plainly Dissimilar” Despite Looking Similar at First Glance
February 2, 2026
RANGE OF MOTION PRODUCTS, LLC v. ARMAID COMPANY INC. Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit recently affirmed summary judgment of non-infringement in a design patent dispute between two makers of body massage devices. Range of Motion Products, owner…
Read MoreWord Choice Matters: “Requested” Creates Required Step Order in Streaming Patent Case
January 29, 2026
SOUND VIEW INNOVATIONS, LLC v. HULU, LLC Authored by: Jeremy J. Gustrowsky The Federal Circuit recently affirmed a finding of non-infringement in a patent dispute between Sound View Innovations and Hulu over streaming media technology. The case centered on claim…
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