Opinion ID: 736955
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The On-Sale and Public Use Bars

Text: 20 World argues that samples of gloves made from the claimed yarn were given away and sold before the critical date in violation of the public use and on-sale bars. It insists that the samples were not in experimental use because they were not covered by confidentiality agreements, and no progress reports were kept concerning the performance of the gloves in the alleged tests. Kolmes responds that the district court properly found that the gloves in question were given away for experimental purposes. It argues that its initial tests were not satisfactory because the glass fibers being used broke and caused irritation and that, accordingly, further outside testing was required to ensure that the gloves could withstand normal use in a meat-packing plant. It argues that the testing satisfied the criteria for experimental use; in particular, it asserts that the gloves were provided to customers in relatively small numbers to Iowa Beef and other customers under conditions of confidentiality, and that reports were requested from them. 21 Application of the on-sale bar under section 102 is a question of law based upon underlying issues of fact. See KeyStone Retaining Wall Sys., Inc. v. Westrock, Inc., 997 F.2d 1444, 1451, 27 USPQ2d 1297, 1303 (Fed.Cir.1993). Whether or not an invention was on-sale or in public use within the meaning of section 102(b) is a question of law that this court reviews de novo; however, factual findings underlying the trial court's conclusion are subject to the clearly erroneous standard of review. Manville Sales Corp. v. Paramount Sys., Inc., 917 F.2d 544, 549, 16 USPQ2d 1587, 1591 (Fed.Cir.1990). A determination that an invention was on sale within the meaning of section 102(b) requires that the claimed invention asserted to be on sale was operable, the complete invention claimed was embodied in or obvious in view of the device offered for sale, and the sale or offer was primarily for profit rather than for experimental purposes. KeyStone, 997 F.2d at 1451, 27 USPQ2d at 1303. In UMC, we stated that [a]ll of the circumstances surrounding the sale or offer to sell, including the stage of development of the invention and the nature of the invention, must be considered and weighed. UMC Elecs. Co. v. United States, 816 F.2d 647, 656, 2 USPQ2d 1465, 1471-72 (Fed.Cir.1987). 22 We agree with Kolmes that the relevant factual findings by the district court are not clearly erroneous and that they support a conclusion that the sample gloves distributed before the critical date were in experimental use. An inherent feature of Kolmes' invention was durability, the ability to withstand use in an environment such as a meat-packing plant with repeated laundering. That feature is evident from the preamble of claim 1, which states that the yarn is for use in making strong flexible cut-resistant products. Testing was hence required in such an environment in order to ensure that the invention would work for its intended purpose. See Manville, 917 F.2d at 550, 16 USPQ2d at 1592 (stating that the invention, an iris arm device for a light pole used at rest stops, was specifically designed to withstand year around weather and that, accordingly: Prior to its testing in the winter environment, there really was no basis for confidence by the inventor that the invention would perform as intended, and hence no proven invention to disclose.); Gould Inc. v. United States, 217 Ct.Cl. 167, 579 F.2d 571, 583, 198 USPQ 156, 167 (1978) (stating that experimental use includes tests needed to convince [the inventor] that the invention is capable of performing its intended purpose in its intended environment). 23 Furthermore, the district court found a lack of commercialization in the limited distribution of the gloves, stating that [o]nly a few gloves were sent; the gloves were marked 'sample;' sent with a sample sheet, and free of charge. The court noted that six Weber Sales Inquiry records documented the experimental program, stating that: Five records are marked sample, and each record details a variation of a Spectra TM/fiber glass yarn. Each record documents a different product, and the variations indicate that the yarn was in an experimental stage. The samples were also subjected to destructive testing, which is evidence that the testing was experimental. World has not shown that these fact findings are clearly erroneous. The variations in the yarn composition coupled with the other facts make clear that the patentees were experimenting with the yarn; they were attempting to determine if the yarn sufficed to make strong, flexible cut-resistant products, like gloves, and to determine the effectiveness of the variations in the yarn. Accordingly, the district court did not err in holding that the '948 patent was not invalid on the ground of the on-sale bar. 24 World conceded at the hearing that its public use argument assumed that Kolmes was not entitled to the benefit of the 1990 filing date. Because, as explained above, we conclude that Kolmes was entitled to the benefit of that filing date, we need not address World's argument concerning public use. Accordingly, the district court did not err in holding that the '948 patent was not invalid on the ground of the public use bar.