Opinion ID: 208578
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: FMC's Motion for JMOL of Invalidity

Text: FMC moved for JMOL that claim 7 of the '729 patent is invalid as anticipated or obvious and that claims 25-28 of the '963 patent are invalid as obvious. For the following reasons, we reverse the district court's denial of FMC's motions.
FMC argues it is entitled to JMOL that claim 7 of the '729 patent is invalid as anticipated by a prior art publication, J. Labadie et al., Development of a New Technique for Obtaining Axenic Meat, 4 Eur. J. of Applied Microbiology 67 (1977) (Labadie). To anticipate claim 7, Labadie must explicitly or inherently disclose each and every limitation of the claim. See Advanced Display Sys., Inc. v. Kent State Univ., 212 F.3d 1272, 1282 (Fed.Cir. 2000); Celeritas Techs., Ltd. v. Rockwell Int'l Corp., 150 F.3d 1354, 1361 (Fed.Cir. 1998). Claim 7 is dependent on claim 1 and includes the following limitations: A method of treating an animal carcass to reduce a microbial population in resulting cut meat, the method comprising the steps of: (a) applying to said carcass an antimicrobial composition comprising: (i) at least 2 ppm of one or more mono or di-peroxycarboxylic acids having up to 12 carbon atoms; and (ii) at least 20 ppm of one or more carboxylic acids having up to 18 carbon atoms; wherein said composition is applied in an amount and time sufficient to reduce the microbial population. ... wherein the carcass is selected from a muscle meat including beef, pork, veal, buffalo or lamb. '729 Patent col.23 ll.11-22 (the limitations in claim 1), col. 23 ll.36-38 (the additional limitation in claim 7). According to the special verdict form, the jury explicitly found that claim 7 of the '729 patent is not invalid as anticipated by Labadie. Because that is a factual finding, Advanced Display Sys., 212 F.3d at 1281, we will not overturn it so long as it is supported by substantial evidence in the record, United States v. Vertac Chem. Corp., 453 F.3d 1031, 1039 (8th Cir.2006). We will not substitute our judgment for that of the jury simply because there are other reasonable possibilities. United States v. Wells, 721 F.2d 1160, 1162 (8th Cir.1982). However, we cannot uphold the jury's verdict here because it is not supported by substantial evidence. FMC bore the burden of demonstrating that claim 7 is anticipated. As we have explained: Evidence of invalidity must be clear as well as convincing. Typically, testimony concerning anticipation must be testimony from one skilled in the art and must identify each claim element, state the witnesses' interpretation of the claim element, and explain in detail how each claim element is disclosed in the prior art reference. Schumer v. Lab. Computer Sys., Inc., 308 F.3d 1304, 1315 (Fed.Cir.2002). FMC met that burden here. Specifically, FMC presented expert testimony from Professor Russell that addressed each claim element and showed how each element was disclosed in Labadie. Labadie states: After immersion in a 3% solution of peracetic acid for 2 min, the surfaces of muscles obtained from pig, horse and cattle were shown to be completely decontaminated. Labadie at 67. Dr. Russell explained how that statement, along with other portions of the article, met all of the claim limitations. J.A. at 5958-59. He explained that Labadie disclosed [a] method of treating an animal carcass to reduce a microbial population in resulting cut meat, '729 Patent col.23 ll. 11-12, because it describes a method for sanitizing the surfaces of muscles obtained from animals. He explained that the Labadie method disclosed the application of PAA to the muscle surface by immersing the cut meat in a 3% PAA solution, which discloses the claim limitations requiring application to the animal carcass of at least 2 ppm of one or more mono or diperoxycarboxylic acids having up to 12 carbon atoms, id. at col.23 ll. 16-18. Dr. Russell further testified that the method described by Labadie disclosed the limitation requiring at least 20 ppm of one or more carboxylic acids having up to 18 carbon atoms, id. at col.23 ll. 19-20, because acetic acid is present in the specified concentration as an equilibrium solution with the PAA. Dr. Russell noted that the limitation requiring that the carcass is selected from a muscle meat including beef, pork, veal, buffalo or lamb, id. at col.23 ll. 36-38, was disclosed in the Labadie publication because Labadie utilized muscles obtained from pig, horse, and cattle. Finally, Dr. Russell explained that the limitation requiring that the PAA be applied in an amount and time sufficient to reduce the microbial population, id. at col.23 ll. 21-22, was disclosed by Labadie because the authors reported that the muscle surfaces were decontaminated as a result of the PAA treatment. Thus, FMC presented a strong prima facie case that claim 7 is invalid as anticipated by the Labadie publication. Ecolab argues that despite Dr. Russell's testimony, the jury could reasonably conclude that Labadie does not anticipate claim 7. First, Ecolab asserts the claimed method is distinct from Labadie because the claimed method is directed to applying peracetic acid to beef [to] reduce microbial populations in the complex setting of a processing plant. Appellant's Reply Br. at 25. That argument is unpersuasive because claim 7 is written broadly and is not limited to PAA treatment in a meat processing plant. Second, Ecolab asserts that it presented voluminous evidence of undue experimentation to the jury. Id. at 27. It is true that an anticipating prior art reference must teach one of ordinary skill in the art to make or carry out the claimed invention without undue experimentation. Minn. Mining & Mfg. Co. v. Chemque, Inc., 303 F.3d 1294, 1306 (Fed.Cir.2002). However, from the evidence presented, the jury could not reasonably conclude that Ecolab's evidence of undue experimentation overcame FMC's strong evidence of anticipation. First, Ecolab presented no evidence that any experimentation would be required to practice claim 7 using the PAA treatment step disclosed in Labadie. Moreover, a careful analysis of the evidence reveals that the experimentation upon which Ecolab relies employed PAA solutions that were far less concentrated than the 3% PAA solution used in the Labadie method. For example, experiments cited by Ecolab, J.A. at 5801, 5893-94, and working examples in Ecolab's own 729 patent, 729 Patent col.13 ll. 11-14, col.17 ll. 18-22, used approximately 0.01-0.025% PAA. Considering that the antimicrobial properties of PAA have long been known, and considering that 0.01-0.025% PAA can effectively reduce the microbial population on meat, it is unreasonable to conclude that one would have to perform experimentationmuch less undue experimentationto use Labadie's disclosed 3% PAA solution to reduce the microbial population on the surface of cut meat. Thus, the evidence Ecolab presented regarding the extensive testing required to develop its product, J.A. at 5715, is not sufficient to support the jury's verdict. Finally, Ecolab argues that its claimed method is distinct from the method disclosed in the Labadie publication because Labadie teaches that each of two PAA treatment steps is followed by a trimming step, wherein the PAA-treated surface of the meat is trimmed away and discarded. See Labadie at 68-69. Ecolab also notes that Labadie teaches the use of sterile conditions to practice the method. See id. Because the Labadie article reported the results of sterility tests performed after the meat was twice treated with PAA and the PAA-treated surface was twice trimmed away, id. at 69, Ecolab argues the jury reasonably concluded that Labadie did not disclose the required limitation that the PAA be applied in an amount and time sufficient to reduce the microbial population, see '729 Patent col.23 ll. 21-22. In other words, Ecolab argues the jury could reasonably conclude that Labadie does not disclose that the PAA treatment alone is sufficient to reduce the microbial population on a meat surface. We disagree. First, the Labadie publication disclosed that muscle surfaces were decontaminated by PAA treatment before the trimming steps were performed, Labadie at 68 (Decontamination of the muscle took place in an extemporaneously prepared (Fig.2) bath of peracetic acid (3%) connected to the sterile lock isolator 1. The muscle was immersed in the acid bath for 2 min. Subsequently, ... the peripheral part [of the muscle] exposed to acid was cut away. (emphasis added)), and before sterile conditions were imposed, id. at 67 (describing the disclosed method as superficial decontamination of muscle tissue obtained from a carcass and its subsequent handling in sterile isolators (emphasis added)). The fact that the Labadie method discloses additional trimming steps performed under sterile conditions cannot render claim 7 valid because Labadie discloses all of the claim 7 limitations. Moreover, the only reasonable conclusion that can be drawn from the evidence presented to the jury is that Labadie's immersion of cut meat into a 3% PAA solution for two minutes was, in the words of claim 7, in an amount and time sufficient to reduce the microbial population. '729 Patent col. 23 ll. 21-22. As discussed in the previous paragraph, the Labadie publication itself discloses that the meat surface was decontaminated by the PAA treatment prior to any subsequent trimming steps. Dr. Tompkin, Ecolab's expert witness, agreed that the Labadie article teaches the use of a 3% PAA solution to kill bacteria on the surface of treated meat. J.A. at 5801 (agreeing that the Labadie article discloses the use of PAA to achieve a total kill of surface bacteria and teach[es] contacting the surface of these red meat articles with peracetic acid to kill bacteria). [1] In addition, Ecolab's '729 patent taught treating meat with 0.01-0.025% PAA for thirty seconds to achieve a reduction in the microbial population, '729 Patent col.13 ll. 3-31, and no evidence before the jury suggested that treatment with 3% PAA for two minutes, as disclosed in the Labadie publication, would be insufficient to reduce the microbial population on a meat surface. Thus, in light of the evidence presented, no reasonable jury could conclude that Labadie's disclosure of treatment with 3% PAA for two minutes is not in an amount and time sufficient to reduce the microbial population. See id. at col. 23 ll.21-22. Under well-established law, [t]hat which would literally infringe if later in time anticipates if earlier than the date of invention. Lewmar Marine, Inc. v. Barient, Inc., 827 F.2d 744, 747 (Fed. Cir.1987) (emphasis omitted). For the reasons discussed above, it is clear that if one were to now practice the PAA treatment step of the Labadie method, he would infringe Ecolab's claim 7. The evidence cannot reasonably support a different conclusion. Thus, we reverse the district court's denial of JMOL because the jury's verdict is not supported by substantial evidence.
FMC moved for JMOL that claim 7 of the 729 patent and claims 25-28 of the '963 patent are invalid as obvious, and the district court denied that motion. We need not address FMC's argument that claim 7 of the 729 patent is invalid as obvious because we have already determined that claim 7 is invalid as anticipated. Regarding claims 25-28 of the '963 patent, we reverse the district court's denial of FMC's JMOL motion. When reviewing a district court's JMOL determination as to obviousness, this court reviews a jury's conclusions on obviousness, a question of law, without deference, and the underlying findings of fact, whether explicit or implicit within the verdict, for substantial evidence. Dippin' Dots, Inc. v. Mosey, 476 F.3d 1337, 1343 (Fed.Cir.2007) (internal quotation marks omitted). Those underlying factual findings include the familiar Graham factors: the scope and content of the prior art, the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue, the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, and secondary considerations, otherwise known as objective indicia of nonobviousness. Finisar Corp. v. DirecTV Group, Inc., 523 F.3d 1323, 1338-39 (Fed.Cir.2008) (citing Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 17-18, 86 S.Ct. 684, 15 L.Ed.2d 545 (1966)). [A] combination of familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1731, 167 L.Ed.2d 705 (2007). FMC argues the district court erred by denying its motion for JMOL that claims 25-28 of the '963 patent are obvious over a combination of the '676 patent and other pieces of prior art, such as U.S. Patent No. 5,143,739 (the Bender patent). We agree. Claim 25 is directed to a method of treating a meat product to reduce a microbial population in the meat product, wherein the method comprises steps for treating meat, such as poultry, with a PAA composition under specified conditions. '963 Patent col.25 l.43-col.26 l.8. Claims 26-28 are dependent on claim 25. Id. at col.26 ll. 9-16. The claims require specified temperature, spray pressure, and contact time limitations. Id. at col.25 l.49 (at a temperature of up to about 60° C), col.25 l.48 (at a pressure of at least 50 psi), col.25 l.49-col.26 l.1 (resulting in a contact time of at least 30 seconds). FMC correctly notes that its '676 prior art patent discloses the temperature and contact time limitations. '676 Patent col.9 ll. 47-49 (disclosing the preferred temperature for PAA treatment as 4°C-40°C), col.3 ll. 42-43 (applying PAA for 0.5 minutes or more). The parties agree that the '676 patent does not, however, disclose treatment of poultry with PAA at a particular spray pressure, and the parties primarily limit their dispute to whether Ecolab's addition of the at least 50 psi pressure limitation in the '963 patent claims would have been obvious. [2] FMC's '676 prior art patent disclosed rapidly spraying PAA onto poultry in order to sanitize the poultry, but it did not disclose that such rapid spraying should be at 50 psi or greater. Id. at col.3 ll. 34-37. However, Ecolab's expert acknowledged that the advantages of spraying antimicrobial solutions onto meat at a pressure greater than 50 psi were known in the prior art. J.A. at 5796. Such advantages include ensuring sufficient contact between the antimicrobial solution and the bacteria on the meat surface and using the pressure to vigorously wash the meat surface. Bender Patent col.8 ll. 14-35, col. 9 ll. 59-61. The Bender patent disclosed spraying an antibacterial solution, specifically a trialkali orthophosphate treatment, onto poultry at a pressure of 20 to 150 psi to cause a spray of medium particle size to impact the inside and outside of the poultry with sufficient force for good cleaning. Id. at col.6 ll. 10-16, col.8 ll. 14-19. Ecolab's expert admitted that one skilled in the art would know how to adjust application parameters to determine the optimum parameters for a particular solution. The question then is whether it would have been obvious to combine the high pressure parameter disclosed in the Bender patent with the PAA methods disclosed in FMC's '676 patent. The answer is yes. First, there was an apparent reason to combine the known elements in the fashion claimed by the patent at issue. See KSR, 127 S.Ct. at 1741. The advantages of spraying antimicrobial solutions onto meat at high pressure were known, and methods for sanitizing meat with PAA were known. There was an apparent reason to combine these known elementsnamely to increase contact between the PAA and the bacteria on the meat surface and to use the pressure to wash additional bacteria off the meat surface during the PAA treatment. Second, the person of ordinary skill would have known how to make this combination; he could have used the mechanical high pressure sprayer disclosed in the Bender patent. See Bender Patent col.8 ll. 15-19, col.8 ll.33-35. Because the Bender patent disclosed using high pressure to improve the effectiveness of an antimicrobial solution when sprayed onto meat, and because an ordinarily skilled artisan would have recognized the reasons for applying PAA using high pressure and would have known how to do so, Ecolab's claims combining high pressure with other limitations disclosed in FMC's patent are invalid as obvious. See KSR, 127 S.Ct. at 1740 ([I]f a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill.). Finally, the claims are invalid as obvious because the combination of the high pressure treatment disclosed in the Bender patent with the methods disclosed in FMC's patent is merely the combination of familiar elements to yield predictable results. See id. at 1739 (The combination of familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results.). Thus, we cannot uphold the jury's verdict that claims 25-28 of the '963 patent are nonobvious, and we reverse the district court's denial of FMC's JMOL motion. [3]