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Morning Session 2: The Current State of the Law Under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102, 103 and 112 #designlaw16
MorningSession2:TheCurrentStateoftheLaw
Under35U.S.C.§§ 102,103and112#designlaw16
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ThePanelists
• PerryJ.Saidman– Principal|Saidman DesignLaw Group,LLC
• ElizabethFerrill– Partner|Finnegan,Henderson,Farabow,Garrett&Dunner,LLP
• BillLaMarca– SpecialCounselforIntellectualPropertyLitigation|USPTO,Officeof
theSolicitor
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§ 112:NewGuidelines?
• Updateonnewwrittendescriptionguidelines:– PTOstillprocessingcommentsreceived.Findthemat:• https://www.uspto.gov/patent/laws-and-regulations/comments-public/comments-application-written-description-requirement
– PTOexpectstoissueanoticetothepublicrespondingtothecommentswithinthenextfewmonths.
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§ 112:Skechers v.Nike(IPR)
• Skechers soughtinvalidationofaNikepatent,allegingnoncompliancewiththewrittendescriptionrequirementbytheintroductionofnewmatter.
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§ 112:Skechers v.Nike(IPR)
• Boardfound§ 112satisfied,anddeniedinstitutionoftheIPR.– “wearenotpersuadedbySkechers’s comparativemicro-analysis of
thedrawings…andthephotographs…e.g.,comparisonsdetailingminordrawinginconsistencies,slightshadingvariations,anduseofbrokenlines…that‘Nikehasclaimedanentirelynewdesign…’”fromwhatwasdisclosedinthephotographs.
• “Rangeofreasonableness”– TheBoardfoundthephotographsto“fallwithinarangeof
reasonableness requiredforprovidingsufficientwrittendescription.”– Skechers “[over-emphasized]fairlytrivialinconsistencies.”
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§ 112:Skechers v.Nike(IPR)
• “Showanddelineate”– Theshoeupperwasreducedtobrokenlines,whichSkechers argued
introducednewmatter.– “wearenotpersuadedthatthephotographs…failtoclearlyshowand
delineate theclaimedmidsoleelementsofthedesigninadditiontotheupperandoutsoleelements,showingthattheinventorhadpossessionoftheinvention….”
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§ 102
§ 102
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ObviousnessFramework
PrimaryReference
Designcharacteristicsofwhicharebasicallythesameasthe
claimeddesign
(1)discernthecorrectvisualimpression createdbythepatenteddesignasawhole;
(2)singlereferencethatcreates“basicallythesame” visual
impression
SecondaryReference
Canmodifytheprimaryreference“tocreateadesignthathasthesameoverallvisualappearanceasthe
claimeddesign.”
Appearanceofcertainornamentalfeaturesinone
wouldsuggesttheapplicationofthosefeaturestotheother
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DormanProds.v.Paccar
IPR2015-00416(June14,2016)
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DormanProds.v.Paccar
IPR2015-00416(June14,2016)
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DormanProds.v.Paccar
• Differentvisualimpressions• Relativelengthofsides,anglesbetweensides
IPR2014-00555(Sept.5,2014)
KobayashiClaimedDesign
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DormanProds.v.Paccar
• Differentvisualimpressions• Relativelengthofsides,anglesbetweensides
KobayashiClaimedDesignIPR2014-00555(Sept.5,2014)
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DormanProds.v.Paccar
• D429 givesthevisualimpressionofafour-sidedtrapezoid,whileKobayashigivestheimpressionofarighttrianglewithahypotenuseformedbyitstopandrightsides.
KobayashiClaimedDesign
IPR2014-00555(Sept.5,2014)
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Caterpillarv.MillerInt’l
IPR2015-00416(June 14,2016)
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Caterpillarv.MillerInt’l
IPR2015-00416(June 14,2016)
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Caterpillarv.MillerInt’l
• “TheCouplerManualisasuitableprimaryreference becausetheCouplerManualwarningsymbolgivesthesameoverallvisualimpressionwhencomparedtotheclaimedwarningsymboldesignasawhole.”
CouplerManualClaimedDesign
IPR2015-00416(June 14,2016)
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Caterpillarv.MillerInt’l
• “Therequirementthatthedesigncharacteristicsoftheproposedprimaryreferencebethesameastheclaimeddesigndoesnotimplythattheappearanceofthepriorartarticlemustbeidenticaltotheclaimeddesign.”
CouplerManualClaimedDesignIPR2015-00416(June 14,2016)
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Caterpillarv.MillerInt’l
HubCouplerManual
• “HubisasuitablesecondaryreferencebecauseHub,liketheCouplerManual,alsodisclosesacouplerforanearthmovingmachine.”
IPR2015-00416(June 14,2016)
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• NotshownthatPOSITA wouldhaveusedthereferencetomodifytheprimary
PremierGemv.WingYeeGems
IPR2015-00416(July 5,2016)
LotusCarat
ClaimedDesign
HeritageArtDeco
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• NotshownthatPOSITA wouldhaveusedthereferencetomodifytheprimary
PremierGemv.WingYeeGems
LotusCarat
ClaimedDesign
HeritageArtDecoIPR2015-00416(July 5,2016)
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• “Petitionerappearstohaveselectivelychosencertaindesignfeaturesofthesecondaryreferences(themixingofstonesofdifferentcuts)whiledeliberatelyignoringotherdesignfeaturesofthosereferencesjustsotheclaimeddesignwouldresult.”
• “Thisselectiveuseofthedesigncharacteristicsofthepriorartsuggeststhatitisdrivenbyahindsightreconstructionoftheinventionratherthantheobjectiveteachingsofthereferences.”
PremierGemv.WingYeeGems
IPR2015-00416(July 5,2016)
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SummaryofPTODesignAppealstoCAFC
Summary of PTO Design Appeals to CAFC over last 15 years:
• In re Hardy, 600 Fed. Appx. 773 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (§103 obviousness, R.36)o claim directed to a wire mesh basket design
• In re Alsabah, 621 Fed.Appx. 659 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (§171 “article of manufacture,” R.36)o claim directed to teaching aid for teaching Arabic in the form of a table of information
• In re Owens, 710 F.3d 1362 (Fed. Cir. 2013) (§112, 1st and §120 priority)o claim directed to a bottle design
• Vanguard v. Kappos & Bank of America, 407 Fed. Appx. 479 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (§103 obviousness in context of an IP reexamination, R.36)o claim directed to a design for a data card with rounded edges, a black strip and aperture
• In re Hardy, 202 F. Appx. 459 (Fed. Cir. 2006) (§103 obviousness, R.36)o claim directed to a wire mesh basket design
• In re Hardy, 106 Fed. Appx. 46 (Fed. Cir. 2004) (§103 obviousness, dismissed)o claim directed to a wire mesh basket design
• In re Haruna, 249 F.3d 1327 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (§103 obviousness, reversed)o claim directed to an optical disc design
• In re Harvey, 12 F.3d 1061 (Fed. Cir. 1993)(§103 obviousness, reversed)o claim directed to ornamental designs for a vase
Thankyou!
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