U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Court denies Samsung request for rehearing in Apple patent case

  A U.S. appeals court has denied Samsung Electronics' request for a rehearing in a smartphone patent infringement case that awarded rival Apple US$548 million.

• Appeals court to hear US agency's decison to block digital imports

  An appeals court will hear arguments this week about the U.S. International Trade Commission's decision to block digital transmissions of 3D dental records into the U.S., an import ban that could have a broad impact on other digital goods.

• Supreme Court rejects Google request in Street View patent case

  The U.S. Supreme Court has declined a request by Google to hear a patent case involving the company's Street View service, leaving the company to defend the infringement claims in lower courts.

• Digital rights groups protest US ruling to block digital transmissions

  A decision by a U.S. government agency prohibiting the transmission of 3D dental records into the U.S. could open the door to further content restrictions on the Internet, digital rights groups have said.

• Conservative lawyers question need for patent troll legislation

  So-called patent trolls may not be as big of a problem as some advocates of U.S. patent reform make them out to be, some conservative patent experts say, in a split with many Republican lawmakers.

• US court throws out $368.2 million patent award against Apple

  A U.S. appeals court has thrown out a US$368.2 million award against Apple in a patent infringement case brought by patent-holding and software company VirnetX.

• Supreme Court: Abstract idea isn't patentable when tied to a computer

  An abstract idea is not patentable simply because it is tied to a computer system, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, potentially making it more difficult to patent some software in the future.

• Supreme Court could limit software patents in Alice case

  A case before the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week could have a huge impact on business-method and software patents, with some experts concerned that the court could put significant limits on what can be patented.

• Supreme Cout justices question some software patents

  The U.S. Supreme Court could wipe out a whole swath of software and business-method patents if justices invalidate four electronic-trading patents, an attorney for patent-owner Alice said.

• US Supreme Court to hear software patent case

  The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a controversial software patent case after a federal appeals court ruled that an abstract idea is not patentable simply because it is tied to a computer system.

• Apple asks appeals court to grant sales injunction against Samsung

  A U.S. District Court judge made mistakes when she rejected Apple's request for a sales injunction against rival Samsung Electronics in a multimillion-dollar patent infringement case, Apple's lawyer argued before an appeals court Friday.

• Apple and Samsung patent war returns Friday

  Samsung Electronics faces the possibility of U.S. import bans on some of its smartphones in two separate cases brought by Apple, with major steps happening Friday.

• Appeals court kicks back USITC decision in Apple case against Motorola

  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has given Apple new life in its patent claims against Google-owned Motorola Mobility.