Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/303/26/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 16:37:48+00:00

Document:
1. Review by this Court of a judgment of the Court of Claims against the United States in a suit for infringement of a patent, brought under the Act of June 25, 1910, as amended, is limited to questions of law. P. 303 U. S. 28.
2. In a patent case in the Court of Claims under the Act of 1910, the questions of validity and infringement are questions of fact. P. 303 U. S. 29.
3. The duty of the Court of Claims to find the ultimate facts, requires that it resolve conflicting inferences and draw the necessary factual conclusions from the evidence. Id.
4. The Court of Claims made elaborate circumstantial findings preceding its two ultimate findings that the patent sued on was valid and infringed by the United States. Its opinion disclosed that there was contradictory testimony by experts for the claimant and for the United States, but the evidence was not, and could not properly be, incorporated in the record before this Court. Held that, while this Court could inquire whether the ultimate findings were necessarily overborne by the subordinate ones, thus showing that the judgment against the United States was not sustainable in point of law, it could not take up the patents set forth in the findings and, in the absence of the explanatory and construing testimony of the expert witnesses, attempt to pass upon the various questions involved, and upon such a necessarily limited consideration overrule the conclusions of fact reached by the Court of Claims upon the entire record. P. 303 U. S. 30.
Certiorari, 302 U.S. 668, to review a judgment against the United States on a claim of patent infringement. See s.c. 299 U. S. 299 U.S. 201.
Respondent brought this suit to recover compensation for the use and manufacture by and for the United States of a device alleged to be covered by respondent's patent No. 1,115,795 for an invention for the control of the equilibrium of airplanes. On the first hearing, the Court of Claims made special findings of fact and decided as a conclusion of law that respondent's patent was valid and had been infringed by the United States, and that respondent was entitled to compensation. Judgment was entered accordingly. 81 Ct.Cls. 785. On review by writ of certiorari, this Court held that validity and infringement were ultimate facts to be found by the Court of Claims and, as these facts had not been found, the judgment was vacated and the case was remanded to that court with instructions to find specifically whether respondent's patent was valid, and, if so, whether it had been infringed. United States v. Esnault-Pelterie, 299 U. S. 201.
"XLVIII. Claims 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the Esnault-Pelterie patent in suit are valid."
"XLIX. The three alleged infringing airplanes of the defendant all possess the single vertical lever movable in every direction for controlling the lateral or longitudinal equilibrium of the airplane, connected to equivalent controlling surfaces having the same functional effects as those disclosed in the patent."
"Claims 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the Esnault-Pelterie patent in suit are infringed by defendant. "
The court then entered an interlocutory judgment holding respondent entitled to compensation and directing that the court's previous findings, as amended, together with its opinion as theretofore announced, should stand. 84 Ct.Cls. 625. Certiorari was granted.
Without its consent, the United States may not be sued for infringement of a patent. Crozier v. Fried Krupp, 224 U. S. 290. The Congress has determined the conditions upon which the United States consents to be sued. By the applicable statute, Congress has permitted suit to be brought in the Court of Claims for reasonable compensation for the infringing use or manufacture. Act of June 25, 1910, 36 Stat. 851, as amended by Act of July 1, 1918, 40 Stat. 705, 35 U.S.C. § 68. Review by this Court of the judgment in such a suit is thus subject to the rules which have been established for the review of the judgments of the Court of Claims. That review is limited to questions of law.
"The facts so found are to be the ultimate facts or propositions which the evidence shall establish, in the nature of a special verdict, and not the evidence on which the ultimate facts are founded."
the record when made up as the rules direct. Bills of exception are not recognized in either the legislation or the rules; nor is there other provision for bringing the evidence into the record or including therein the various rulings involved in applying to the evidence presented the rules which mark the line between when properly may be considered and what must be rejected. As long ago as Mahan v. United States, 14 Wall. 109, 81 U. S. 111, this Court said of the rules that they could not be examined"
"without seeing that the purpose was to bring nothing here for review but questions of law, leaving the Court of Claims to exercise the functions of a jury in finding facts, equivalent to a special verdict, and with like effect. *"
"are to be treated like the verdict of a jury, and we are not at liberty to refer to the evidence, any more than to the opinion, for the purpose of eking out, controlling, or modifying their scope."
United States v. Omaha Tribe of Indians, 253 U. S. 275, 253 U. S. 281; Stilz v. United States, supra; United States v. Swift & Co., 270 U. S. 124, 270 U. S. 138.
Refrigerator Co. v. Winters, 280 U. S. 30, 280 U. S. 36. But we do not think that rule is applicable where we are unable to examine the testimony which was heard by the court below and we cannot say that it was of no importance or determine its value in the light of the disputes revealed. We should not be justified in taking up the patents set forth in the findings and, in the absence of the explanatory and construing testimony of the expert witnesses with respect to the pertinent fact situations, in attempting to pass upon the various questions, whether of a scientific nature or otherwise, that are involved, and upon such a necessarily limited consideration, in overruling the conclusions of fact reached by the Court of Claims upon the entire record. Compare 76 U. S. Wethered, 9 Wall. 812, 76 U. S. 815-816; Royer v. Schultz Belting Co., 135 U. S. 319, 135 U. S. 325; St. Paul Plow Works v. Starling, 140 U. S. 184, 140 U. S. 196-197; Coupe v. Royer, 155 U. S. 565, 155 U. S. 577-580.
to validity and infringement are necessarily overborne by the subordinate findings.
MR. JUSTICE BLACK is of the opinion that the findings do not show infringement of any valid patent, or that appellee invented either a vertical lever or a universal joint or the combined use of a vertical lever and a universal joint to control airplanes or machinery; he believes the findings show that such means of control were in general use long before appellee -- five years after his original application for a patent -- filed an amendment asserting this claim. For these reasons, he believes the judgment should be reversed.
* See also United States v. Smith, 94 U. S. 214; Stone v. United States, 164 U. S. 380, 164 U. S. 383; Collier v. United States, 173 U. S. 79; Crocker v. United States, 240 U. S. 74; Niles Bement Pond Co. v. United States, 281 U. S. 357, 281 U. S. 358-360.

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