Opinion ID: 217178
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: The Commission and Elpida argue that this court lacks jurisdiction to hear Tessera's appeal as to patent exhaustion because Tessera did not timely appeal that issue. The ALJ issued the Initial Determination on August 28, 2009. At that time, the ALJ determined that Tessera's patent rights were exhausted with respect to all accused products sold by Tessera's licensees. Initial Determination. Because the ALJ found that intervenor Elpida purchased 100% of its accused products from Tessera's licensees, Elpida could no longer be subject to an exclusion order and was terminated from the investigation. On October 30, 2009, the Commission issued its Notice to Review announcing its decision not to review the ALJ's determination on patent exhaustion. The Commission subsequently issued its Final Determination on December 29, 2009. Tessera filed a notice of appeal on January 28, 2010, within sixty days from the Final Determination, but more than sixty days from the Notice to Review. The Commission argues that when it decided not to review the ALJ's determination on patent exhaustion, the ALJ's decision then became the final decision of the Commission. Because Tessera did not file a notice of appeal within sixty days of the Commission's decision not to review the ALJ's patent exhaustion determination, the Commission argues that Tessera's appeal of that issue was not timely and, therefore, should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. The Commission cites this court's decision in Allied Corporation v. International Trade Commission, for the proposition that a Commission decision is final when there was no provision for . . . review . . . following a determination that does not lead to an exclusion order. 782 F.2d 982, 983-84 (Fed.Cir.1986); see also Broadcom Corp. v. Int'l Trade Comm'n, 542 F.3d 984, 896 (Fed.Cir.2008). Because the Commission decided not to review the patent exhaustion issue, nothing in the Commission's Final Determination could result in an exclusion order as to Elpida. Thus, the Commission argues, Tessera should have filed a notice of appeal, at least as to Elpida, when the Commission refused to review an issue dispositive of the investigation for Elpida. Tessera responds that this court's jurisdiction over appeals from the Commission is governed by § 1337(c), which requires that [a]ny person adversely affected by a final determination of the Commission . . . may appeal such determination, within 60 days after the determination becomes final. 19 U.S.C. § 1337(c). Under ITC regulations, an initial determination becomes the determination of the Commission unless the Commission . . . shall have ordered review of the initial determination or certain issues therein . . . . 19 C.F.R. § 210.42(h)(2) (emphasis added). According to Tessera, when the Commission decided to review certain issues therein, such as claim construction of the '106 patent, the ALJ's Initial Determination did not become final as to the '106 patent. Tessera distinguishes Broadcom and Allied as both involving undisputedly final determinations finding some patents infringed and others not infringed or invalid. In those cases, the only question was whether the patentee should appeal noninfringement or invalidity immediately or wait for the Presidential review period to pass as to the patent held valid and infringed. Broadcom, 542 F.3d at 894; Allied, 782 F.2d at 983-84. Tessera further argues that requiring an immediate appeal from the Commission's Notice to Review in this case, where the Commission decided not to review certain affirmative defenses to patent infringement, would result in piecemeal appeals. See, e.g., United States v. Hollywood Motor Co., 458 U.S. 263, 265, 102 S.Ct. 3081, 73 L.Ed.2d 754 (1982) (piecemeal appeals disfavored). Allied is easily distinguished. There, the ALJ found one patent not invalid and infringed but held the other two asserted patents invalid. Allied, 782 F.2d at 983. The Commission subsequently adopted the ALJ's findings and issued an exclusion order as to the valid and infringed patent. Id. The issue was whether Allied should have appealed the invalidity determination when the Commission adopted the ALJ's findings or, instead, after the Presidential review period passed for the patent held valid and infringed. Id. This court held that Allied should have appealed from the Commission's adoption of the ALJ's findings. Id. at 984. The court so held because had the President approved the exclusion order, Allied would have prevailed as to that patent and could not have appealed. Id. at 983. Likewise, had the President not approved of the exclusion order, Allied could not have appealed the President's decision. Id. Thus, [t]hat determination was final as of [the date the Commission adopted the ALJ's findings], there being no provision for Presidential review, or for other administrative proceedings, following a determination that does not lead to an exclusion order. Id. at 984. Broadcom was factually analogous. There, Qualcomm asserted that Broadcom appealed too early, because it did not wait for the Presidential review period to pass. Broadcom, 542 F.3d at 896. This court disagreed and held that Broadcom did not prematurely file an appeal. Id. at 897. Here, unlike in Broadcom or Allied, the Commission issued a Notice to Review certain issues of the Initial Determination. Cf. Broadcom, 542 F.3d at 896; Allied, 782 F.2d at 983. Also, unlike in Broadcom or Allied, Tessera filed its appeal within sixty days of the Commission's Final Determination. Cf. Broadcom, 542 F.3d at 896; Allied, 782 F.2d at 983. Finally, here, unlike in Broadcom or Allied, whether Tessera could obtain an exclusion order on the '106 patent was still before the Commission. Cf. Broadcom, 542 F.3d at 896; Allied, 782 F.2d at 983. Had Tessera appealed from the Commission's Notice to Review, Tessera would still have been unable to obtain an exclusion order until, at the earliest, the Commission finished its review of the ALJ's findings on claim construction and infringement. See, e.g., Vastfame Camera, Ltd. v. Int'l Trade Comm'n, 56 Fed.Appx. 494, 495 (Fed.Cir. 2003) (dismissing some appeals as premature and staying others where a notice of appeal was filed immediately after notice that the ITC would partially review an initial determination). For the foregoing reasons, this court agrees with Tessera that this court possesses jurisdiction over the Commission's patent exhaustion determination. Under the Commission's own regulations, the Initial Determination did not become final because the Notice to Review ordered review of certain issues therein pertaining to the '106 patent. 19 C.F.R. § 210.42(h)(2). Until the Commission had rendered a final determination or appealable order, this court lacked jurisdiction. The Commission's Final Determination issued on December 29, 2009. Tessera filed a timely notice of appeal on January 28, 2010, within sixty days from that date.