Obviousness

February 3, 2022
A photo of an iPhone screen showing an icon to launch the Google app.

Google’s AdWords Defeats Competitor’s Patent Infringement Claim

Canada's Federal Court dismissed allegations by Paid Search Engine that Google infringed a patent for optimizing paid search engines.
January 24, 2022
Photo of a pharmacist holding out a yellow pill in one hand and a white pill in another hand. A patient reaches for the yellow pill.

Teva Blocks Competitor With Patent for 40 mg/mL Dose of Copaxone®

Outside Canada, Teva’s Copaxone® 40mg/mL dosing patents have been invalidated for obviousness, making way for generic competitors.
November 16, 2020
An orange backhoe on a construction site with mountains in the background.

Federal Court Finds Patent Obvious in Summary Judgment

2020 FC 997: In a summary judgement for patent impeachment, Canada's Federal Court found a patent for heating hydraulic booms to be invalid for obviousness.
September 10, 2020
Photo of a pair of shoes dangling off the edge of a building while lights shine on a bridge in the distance at night.

Identical Preambles: Limiting in One Patent, Not Another

Fed. Cir. 2019-1622: The CAFC found the same preamble created different limitations for different patents, limiting one patent but not the other.
June 18, 2020
Photograph of a red hockey net on the ice of an outdoor skating rink.

Federal Court Clarifies the Admissibility of Patent Prosecution History

In a patent infringement case between two major ice skate manufacturers, the Federal Court clarified s. 53.1 and the admissibility of prosecution history.
April 16, 2020
Photograph of white pharmaceutical pills on a blue background.

Prima Facie Obviousness Established From Similar Compounds, Overlapping pH

Fed. Cir. 2018-2097 — The CAFC ruled that Valeant's patent for Relistor(R) is prima facie obvious based on similar compounds with overlapping pH ranges.
March 9, 2020
Photograph of an IV drip delivering a pharmaceutical to a patient in a hospital.

Contested Remicade Patent Will Head Back to Court in June

2020 FCA 30; 2020 FCA 31 – Janssen and Celltrion will return to court in June after the FCA overturned a lower court decision regarding a Remicade patent.
September 20, 2019
Macro (close-up) photo of a hazel coloured human eye, eyelashes, and eyelid.

Allergan’s Glaucoma Patents Saved by “Wherein” Clauses

CAFC 2018-2207 – The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that “wherein” clauses in patent claims can be limiting if they are material to patentability.
September 13, 2019
Fibre optic cable photographed in the dark

Patent Specification Interpreted as Admission of Common General Knowledge

2019 FC 1065 – Canada's Federal Court ruled that two fiber optics patents were obvious in light of an admission made in the background sections.
July 2, 2019
Vials containing pharmaceuticals (drugs)

Oxymorphone Patent Is Not Obvious, Federal Circuit Confirms

CAFC confirms that an invention is only obvious and ineligible for a patent where a skilled person would have had a “reasonable expectation of success.”
June 11, 2019
Legal textbooks on a shelf

CAFC Refuses to Hear Appeal from Patent Decision

AVX Corporation v Presidio Components (Fed. Cir., 2018-1106) A case recently dismissed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”) confirms that […]
June 4, 2019
Pharmaceutical researcher in a laboratory

When Can New Uses for Known Drugs Be Patented?

Fed. Cir., 2018-1434 - CAFC clarifies the test for obviousness where the invention claims a use of a known drug.
April 30, 2019
GUI on a computer monitor showing a stock performance

Stock Trading GUI Falls Short of Patentability Requirements in US

Fed. Cir. 2017-2257 - CAFC Reaffirms: GUI That Merely Collects and Displays Data Is Not Patentable
April 12, 2019
Photograph of a sunset over the trains in a trainyard.

Patentees May Bring Motion to Stay Proceedings Before the Commissioner to the FC

2019 FC 142 - FC confirms it may stay proceedings before federal board or commissions if elements of strict test are met.
December 18, 2018

FCA Reviews Doctrines of Claim Construction and Sufficient Disclosure

2018 FCA 172 – FCA affirms FC’s analysis on sufficient disclosure but quashes claim construction analysis.
November 23, 2018

PAB Rejects Application: Ambiguous and Indefinite Claims are Unpatentable

PAB 1453 – The Patent Appeal Board found that Canadian Patent Application No. 2,612,950 for a “system and method for generating real-time indicators in a trading list or portfolio” was obvious, the claims did not define statutory subject matter and were indefinite.
November 7, 2018

US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Confirms Test for Obviousness

Fed. Cir. 2017-1977 – The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit confirms the legal standard for obviousness in patent law.