Opinion ID: 297956
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the invalidity issue

Text: 31 The underlying factual character or quality of patent invalidity in the present context (35 U.S.C. § 103) has been explained by the Supreme Court in Graham v. John Deere Company of Kansas City, 383 U.S. 1, 19, 86 S.Ct. 684, 694, 15 L.Ed.2d 545 (1966): 32 While the ultimate question of patent validity is one of law, Great A. & P. Tea Co. v. Supermarket Equipment Corp., supra, 340 U.S. at 155 [147], 71 S.Ct. [127] at 131 [95 L.Ed. 162], the § 103 condition, which is but one of three conditions, each of which must be satisfied, lends itself to several basic factual inquiries. Under § 103, the scope and content of the prior art are to be determined; differences between the prior art and the claims at issue are to be ascertained; and the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art resolved. Against this background, the obviousness or nonobviousness of the subject matter is determined.   33 And in Eimco Corporation v. Peterson Filters and Engineering Company, 406 F.2d 431 (10th Cir. 1969), this Court commented on the Supreme Court's observation that there are difficulties in applying the nonobviousness test (obviousness to a person having ordinary skill in the art): 34 The difficulties referred to are questions of fact to be determined in the trial court. The courts agree that the ultimate question of validity is one of law, Griswold v. Oil Capital Valve Co. [10 Cir., 375 F.2d 532], supra, but obviousness as referred to in Section 103 is a question of fact for the trial court, which determination should not be set aside in the absence of clear error.    35 Judging from the record and the trial court's findings, it considered only the prior art patents which had been considered by the Patent Office at the time of application and issuance. The court did note that Claim 1 was but an aggregation of old elements. Beyond that the court simply concluded that The undisputed facts which are evidenced by the record submitted to the court in support of defendant's motion for summary judgment, show that the alleged invention disclosed by Claim 1 of the Thurley patent is obvious. Thus, the findings do not include a careful in depth analysis from the standpoint of one having ordinary skill in the art, and, indeed, did not make a finding as to the existent level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art; nor was there a finding as to differences (or similarities) between the prior art and Claim 1 issue, all as required by Graham, supra. 36 Furthermore, the court's refusal to consider the tendered affidavit of plaintiff's expert, McMinn, was not justified containing as it did explanations and reasons in support of plaintiff's position. That it was conclusory as noted by the court was an insufficient reason for rejecting it. Expert opinion has this quality. 37 Thus, the complicated issue as to obviousness could not be here determined without reference to expert testimony and without a careful analysis in the light of the standards laid down in Graham v. John Deere Company, supra. A trial of this issue was necessary. 2