Opinion ID: 207967
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Stanford’s Standing

Text: Notwithstanding the running of the statutes of limitation against Roche’s claim for a judgment of ownership, Stanford’s inability to establish that it possessed Holodniy’s interest in the patents-in-suit defeats its right to assert its cause of action against Roche. It is well settled that “all co-owners normally must join as plaintiffs in an infringement 2008-1509, -1510 24 suit.” Int’l Nutrition Co. v. Horphag Research Ltd., 257 F.3d 1324, 1331 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (finding lack of standing where defendant co-owner did not voluntarily join); see also Isr. Bio-Eng’g Project v. Amgen Inc., 475 F.3d 1256, 1264-65 (Fed. Cir. 2007) (“Absent the voluntary joinder of all co-owners of a patent, a co-owner acting alone will lack standing.”); Ethicon, Inc. v. U.S. Surgical Corp., 135 F.3d 1456, 1467 (Fed. Cir. 1998) (“An action for infringement must join as plaintiffs all co-owners.”). Roche asserted its ownership claim not only as a counterclaim seeking a judgment of ownership of Holodniy’s interests, but also as an affirmative defense and a challenge to Stanford’s standing to assert claims of infringement against Roche. While Roche’s failure to timely seek a judgment of ownership defeats its counterclaim, it does not alter the fact that Stanford cannot establish ownership of Holodniy’s interest and lacks standing to assert its claims of infringement against Roche. Thus, the district court lacked jurisdiction over Stanford’s infringement claim and should not have addressed the validity of the patents. See Morrow v. Microsoft Corp., 499 F.3d 1332, 1344 (Fed. Cir. 2007). The district court’s grant of summary judgment of invalidity is therefore vacated, and the case is remanded with instructions to dismiss Stanford’s claim for lack of standing.