Opinion ID: 209874
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cat Tech's Infringement Action

Text: On August 30, 2005, Cat Tech brought suit against TubeMaster, alleging infringement of the '660 patent by TubeMaster's OLE'TM loading devices. TubeMaster counterclaimed, seeking a declaration that its devices did not infringe the '660 patent and that the patent was invalid and unenforceable. Cat Tech subsequently amended its complaint, seeking a declaratory judgment of infringement. The district court held a hearing to construe disputed claim language, see Cat Tech LLC v. TubeMaster, Inc., No. H-05-3050 (S.D.Tex. Oct. 30, 2006), and the parties then filed cross-motions for summary judgment. The court granted TubeMaster's motion for a declaration of non-infringement as to configurations 1, 2 and 4. Cat Tech Inc. v. TubeMaster., Inc., No. H-05-3050, slip op. at 3-6 (S.D.Tex. May 22, 2007) ( Summary Judgment Decision ). The court concluded that a live controversy existed as to those configurations because TubeMaster was prepared to produce devices using those configurations as soon as it received an order with the appropriate dimensions. Id. Although configuration 3 was the only configuration that had been commercially implemented, the court determined that it had authority to grant declaratory relief because TubeMaster ha[d] taken sufficient concrete steps to conduct loading activity with Configurations 1, 2 and 4. Id. at 5. The district court also concluded that use of configuration 3 did not infringe the '660 patent. It determined that the spacing limitation of the relevant claims requires a spacing that is not large enough to allow whole particles to fall through. Id. at 9. Because TubeMaster's configuration 3 uses spacing that allows whole catalyst particles to fall through, it does not meet this spacing limitation. After the trial court certified its judgment for immediate appeal pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b), Cat Tech timely appealed to this court. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(1).