Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/344/13/case.html
Timestamp: 2017-03-27 18:29:06
Document Index: 713060412

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 4915', '§ 63', '§ 4915', '§ 63', '§ 4904', '§ 52', '§ 4915', '§ 63', '§ 4915', '§ 4915']

Sanford v. Kepner (full text) :: 344 U.S. 13 (1952) :: Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center Log In
› Sanford v. Kepner
Sanford v. Kepner 344 U.S. 13 (1952)
U.S. Supreme CourtSanford v. Kepner, 344 U.S. 13 (1952)Sanford v. KepnerNo. 46Argued October 24, 1952Decided November 10, 1952344 U.S. 13CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
In a proceeding under R.S. § 4915, 35 U.S.C. § 63, brought by an applicant for a patent to review an adverse decision of a board of interference examiners, when a district court has found against petitioner on the issue of priority of invention, it need not go further and consider the validity of a rival applicant's claim to a patent on the same device. Pp. 344 U. S. 13-16.
In a proceeding under R.S. § 4915, 35 U.S.C. § 63, the District Court found against petitioner on an issue of priority of invention, and dismissed the bill without considering the validity of a rival applicant's claim to a patent on the same device. 99 F.Supp. 221. The Court of Appeals affirmed. 195 F.2d 387. This Court granted certiorari. 343 U.S. 976. Affirmed, p. 344 U. S. 16.
Claiming he was the original and sole inventor of a mechanical device, the respondent Kepner asked the United States Patent Office for a patent. Later, the petitioner Sanford filed a similar application making the same claim. As authorized by R.S. § 4904, 35 U.S.C. § 52, the Commissioner of Patents directed a board of interference examiners to hold hearings and determine the Page 344 U. S. 14 dispute over priority of invention -- which of the two first used the device. The Board decided for respondent Kepner. Sanford's application for patent was accordingly refused. As authorized by R.S. § 4915, 35 U.S.C. § 63, Sanford brought this bill in equity praying that he be adjudged inventor of the device and entitled to a patent. Sanford also prayed that Kepner's claims be adjudged unpatentable, charging that many previous patents had been granted on Kepner's device, some of which had expired. Agreeing with the Board of Interference Examiners, the District Court found against Sanford on the issue of prior use. Since this was enough to justify refusal to issue Sanford a patent, the District Court declined to go further and consider Kepner's claim to a patent. Accordingly, Sanford's bill was dismissed. 99 F.Supp. 221. Agreeing with the District Court, the Court of Appeals affirmed. 195 F.2d 387. The circuits have different views concerning the duty of district courts to consider and adjudicate questions of invention and patentability when parties urge them in R.S. § 4915 proceedings. * To settle these differences, we granted certiorari. 343 U.S. 976.
". . . whenever any applicant is dissatisfied with the decision of the board of interference examiners, the applicant . . . may have remedy by bill in equity . . . , and the court . . . may adjudge that such applicant is entitled, according to law, to receive a patent for his invention. . . . And such Page 344 U. S. 15 adjudication, if it be in favor of the right of the applicant, shall authorize the commissioner to issue such patent on the applicant filing in the Patent Office a copy of the adjudication and otherwise complying with the requirements of law."
Hill v. Wooster, 132 U. S. 693, 132 U. S. 698. The principle of the Hill case is that the court must decide whether claims show patentable inventions before authorizing the Commissioner to issue a patent. No part of its holding or wording, nor of that in Hoover Co. v. Coe, 325 U. S. 79, requires us to say R.S. § 4915 compels a district court to adjudicate patentability at the instance of one whose claim is found to be groundless. Sanford's claim was found to be groundless.
It is unlikely that this equity proceeding would develop a full investigation of validity. There would be no attack on the patent comparable to that of an infringement action. Here, the very person who claimed an invention Page 344 U. S. 16 now asks to prove that Kepner's similar device was no invention at all, because of patents issued long before either party made claim for his discovery. There is no real issue of invention between the parties here, and we see no reason to read into the statute a district court's compulsory duty to adjudicate validity.