Opinion ID: 745466
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The '503 Ink Patent

Text: 48 HP argues that summary judgment of non-infringement of the '503 patent was improperly granted because the court ignored evidence of infringement proffered by HP, including admissions of infringement by two of ROT's ink chemists. We find no error in the district court's conclusion that, viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to HP, it has failed to meet its burden to show the existence of genuine issues of fact for trial. Regarding the admissions, HP cites deposition testimony by a former ROT chemist in which the chemist stated that he believed that ROT's black ink refill fell within the claims of the '503 patent. However, during the same deposition and when questioned claim by claim, he could not identify a single claim that read on ROT's inks. He further explained in detail why the chemical compositions of ROT's inks did not meet each element of the asserted claims as he understood them. Upon questioning regarding the discrepancy in his testimony, the chemist explained that he did not understand the examining attorney's use of the phrase fall within the claims to mean that every limitation of each claim was met by the accused product. Thus, the chemist offered unrebutted testimony that the accused ink was not within the scope of the asserted claims. His earlier conclusory response, based on a misunderstanding of the question asked and immediately shown to be an inaccurate summary of his views, does not raise a genuine issue of material fact. 49 The other evidence cited by HP is the statement by an ROT chemist that ROT's president had told her on her first day of work that there was a problem, there was patent infringement regarding an ink jet ink formula developed by another chemist. This statement is hardly an admission that the accused products infringe the asserted claims of the patent at issue. HP has failed to provide any evidence that creates a genuine issue of fact concerning whether the accused products contain inks that are covered by the asserted claims of the '503 patent.