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Keywords

appealtrialverdictpatent

verdictpatent

Related Cases

Fiskars, Inc. v. Hunt Mfg. Co., 221 F.3d 1318, 55 U.S.P.Q.2d 1569

Facts

Fiskars Oy AB and Fiskars, Inc. owned a patent for a paper cutter with circular blades, which Hunt Manufacturing Co. was accused of infringing. The case was tried in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, where a jury found that Hunt's device infringed the patent under the doctrine of equivalents. Hunt appealed the decision, contesting both the infringement ruling and the district court's findings regarding inequitable conduct during patent prosecution.

Issue

Did Hunt Manufacturing Co. infringe Fiskars' patent under the doctrine of equivalents, and did Fiskars engage in inequitable conduct during the patent prosecution?

Rule

The doctrine of equivalents allows a patentee to claim infringement even if the accused device does not literally infringe the patent claims, provided that the differences between the two are insubstantial. Additionally, inequitable conduct requires clear and convincing evidence that the applicant withheld material information or submitted false information to the PTO with intent to deceive.

Analysis

The court found that substantial evidence supported the jury's conclusion that Hunt's device performed substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same result as Fiskars' patented device. The court also determined that Fiskars did not engage in inequitable conduct, as the evidence did not show that Fiskars intentionally withheld material information from the PTO.

Conclusion

The court affirmed the jury's verdict of infringement and the district court's ruling that Fiskars did not engage in inequitable conduct.

Who won?

Fiskars Oy AB and Fiskars, Inc. prevailed in the case as the court upheld the jury's finding of infringement against Hunt Manufacturing Co. The court found that the evidence presented at trial sufficiently demonstrated that Hunt's device operated equivalently to the patented device, thus justifying the infringement ruling. Additionally, the court ruled that Hunt's claims of inequitable conduct were unfounded, reinforcing Fiskars' position.

Fiskars Oy AB and Fiskars, Inc. prevailed in the case as the court upheld the jury's finding of infringement against Hunt Manufacturing Co.

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