Opinion ID: 764877
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Claim Construction & Literal Infringement of Independent Claim 17

Text: 36 Before addressing infringement and validity of independent claims 1 and 8, we first address and dismiss Finnigan's argument concerning the construction of independent claim 17. Finnigan asserts that claim 17 does not contain the term unstable and that the ALJ therefore erred in construing this claim to be commensurate in scope with claims 1 and 8, which do contain this limitation. When claim 17 is properly construed, Finnigan continues, the ESQUIRE device infringes because it sequentially select[s] by ejecting ion[s] of different mass values by scanning the three dimensional quadrupole field as that claim requires. The Commission responds that Finnigan's argument concerning the construction of claim 17 cannot be heard by this court because it was not raised in Finnigan's petition to the Commission. Finnigan rejoins that this court may consider its claim construction argument because, under Cybor Corp. v. FAS Technologies, Inc., 138 F.3d 1448, 46 USPQ2d 1169 (Fed.Cir.1998) (en banc), claim construction is a question of law that receives de novo review on appeal. 37 We agree with the Commission that the argument concerning claim 17 has been waived. A party seeking review in this court of a determination by the Commission must specifically assert the error made by the ALJ in its petition for review to the Commission. See Personalized Media Communications, L.L.C. v. International Trade Comm'n, 161 F.3d 696, 709, 48 USPQ2d 1880, 1891 (Fed.Cir.1998); Checkpoint Sys., Inc. v. United States Int'l Trade Comm'n, 54 F.3d 756, 760, 35 USPQ2d 1042, 1046 (Fed.Cir.1995). This rule is required by principles of administrative law and by the Code of Federal Regulations: 38 [O]rderly procedure and good administration require that objections to the proceedings of an administrative agency be made while it has opportunity for correction in order to raise issues reviewable by the courts. When a party to an administrative proceeding fails to assert an issue during that proceeding, other parties to the proceeding are not given notice and an opportunity to present arguments before the agency; moreover, the agency is not afforded the opportunity to consider the issue in the first instance. Thus, simple fairness to those who are engaged in the tasks of administration, and to litigants, requires as a general rule that courts should not topple over administrative decisions unless the administrative body not only has erred but has erred against objection made at the time appropriate under its practice. 39 Checkpoint, 54 F.3d at 760, 35 USPQ2d at 1045 (citations, quotations, and brackets omitted); see also id. (noting that 19 C.F.R. § 210.54(a) (1994), now 19 C.F.R. § 210.43(b) (1998), requires that a petition for review contain a concise argument providing the reasons why review by the Commission is necessary, and specifying that [a]ny issue not raised in the petition for review will be deemed to have been abandoned.). 40 Finnigan's petition for review did not assert that claims 1, 8, and 17 were of different scope in any relevant manner, and did not argue the relevance of the lack of the term unstable in claim 17. See Joint App. at A5891-907. Therefore, Finnigan's argument concerning the construction of claim 17 has been waived and we will not consider it. See Checkpoint, 54 F.3d at 760, 35 USPQ2d at 1046 (holding that this court would not address a party's claim construction argument when it had not included it in its petition for review). 41 Cybor does not help Finnigan. That this court may review a lower tribunal's claim construction de novo under Cybor does not require us to consider claim construction arguments that were not raised before the Commission. A party's argument should not be a moving target. The argument at the trial and appellate level should be consistent, thereby ensuring a clear presentation of the issue to be resolved, an adequate opportunity for response and evidentiary development by the opposing party, and a record reviewable by the appellate court that is properly crystallized around and responsive to the asserted argument. See Sage Prods., Inc. v. Devon Indus., Inc., 126 F.3d 1420, 1426, 44 USPQ2d 1103, 1108 (Fed.Cir.1997). Cybor does not require a different result. While Cybor confirmed this court's ability to review claim construction de novo, it does not require us to effectively retry claim construction de novo by consideration of novel arguments not first presented to the tribunal whose decision is on review. 42 Because Finnigan did not present to the Commission the argument concerning the scope of claim 17 that it currently presses on appeal, we decline to consider this argument. 43