Introduction to Intellectual Property

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Introduction to Intellectual Property

• Class of October 8 2003

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Limits on Patent Rights
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Limits on Patent Rights

• Specific rights to exclude
• Time limits
• Geographical limits
• Limited to claims and equivalents

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Claims

• The heart of a patent application/issued patent
• U.S. Patent No. 5,443,036 Method of Exercising a
  Cat

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Claims

• Independent, dependent claims
• 3 parts of claims (preamble, transition phrase,
  body (elements or limitations of claims)

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Conflict for a Claim Drafter

• Narrower claims are more likely to meet
  patentability requirements
• But the narrower the claims are, the less rights
  the patent gives

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2 forms of claim drafting

• Product-by-process claims
• Means-function claim

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2 STEPS TO DETERMINE INFRINGEMENT

• 1. Patent claim at issue must be construed to
  determine its scope or meaning
• 2. Determination of whether the accused device
  or process infringes the properly construed
  claim, either literally or under the doctrine of
  requivalents

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To interpret, the court looks at
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To interpret, the court looks at

• Language of claims
• The rest of the patent
• The entire file wrapper (prosecution history)
• Extrinsic evidence (e.g. dictionaries, testimony
  of parties or experts, prior art)
• Also canons of interpretation

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Literal Infringement

• Larami Corp. v. Amron CB p. 226

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The Doctrine of Equivalents

• Graver Tank, 339 U.S. 605 (1950)

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Prosecution History Estoppel and the Doctrine of
Equivalents

• Warner Jenkinson (1997) (CB p. 320)
• Festo (2002) (CB p. 237)

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Reverse Doctrine of Equivalents

• Less frequently invoked than DOE

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Indirect Infringement

• Active inducement
• Contributory Infringement C.R. Bard v. Advanced
  Cardiovascular Systems (Fed. Cir. 1990)

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Equivalents for Means-plus-function claims

• What claims are means-plus function claims?
• What is the relationship between means-plus
  function claims and the doctrine of equivalents?

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