Opinion ID: 779906
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Patent infringement allegations

Text: 41 In general, federal patent law bars the imposition of liability [under federal or state law] for publicizing a patent in the marketplace unless the plaintiff can show that the patent holder acted in bad faith. Zenith Elecs. Corp. v. Exzec, Inc., 182 F.3d 1340, 1353, 51 USPQ2d 1337, 1347 (Fed.Cir.1999) (quoting Hunter Douglas, Inc. v. Harmonic Design, Inc., 153 F.3d 1318, 1336, 47 USPQ2d 1769, 1782 (Fed.Cir.1998). [A] patent owner has the right to ... enforce its patent, and that includes threatening alleged infringers with suit. Concrete Unlimited, Inc. v. Cementcraft, Inc., 776 F.2d 1537, 1538, 227 USPQ 784, 785 (Fed.Cir.1985). 42 In Mikohn Gaming Corp. v. Acres Gaming, Inc., this court articulated a federal standard applicable to all torts, state or federal, based on a patentee's statements about patent infringement to a potential infringer and the industry. 165 F.3d 891, 897, 49 USPQ2d 1308, 1312 (Fed.Cir.1998). We explained that communication to possible infringers concerning patent rights is not improper if the patent holder has a good faith belief in the accuracy of the communication. Although bad faith may encompass subjective as well as objective considerations, and the patent holder's notice is not irrelevant to a determination of bad faith, a competitive commercial purpose is not of itself improper, and bad faith is not supported when the information is objectively accurate. In general, a threshold showing of incorrectness or falsity, or disregard for either, is required in order to find bad faith in the communication of information about the existence or pendency of patent rights. Indeed, a patentee, acting in good faith on its belief as to the nature and scope of its rights, is fully permitted to press those rights even though he may misconceive what those rights are. 43 Id. Moreover, in C.R. Bard Inc. v. M3 Sys., Inc., we explained that: 44 The law recognizes a presumption that the assertion of a duly granted patent is made in good faith, see Virtue v. Creamery Package Mfg. Co., 227 U.S. 8, 37-38, 33 S.Ct. 202, 57 L.Ed. 393 (1913); this presumption is overcome only by affirmative evidence of bad faith. 45