Opinion ID: 381274
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: WHETHER REMOVAL BY CHEMIDUS OF CLAUSE 1(d) PURGES MISUSE.

Text: 35 Defendant maintains that patent misuse, if any, has been purged by defendant through the elimination of clause 1(d) from the contract on June 1, 1978. While defendant may be correct in contending that the removal of the offending clause was sufficient in this case to dissipate the misuse, see, e. g., Newburgh Moire Co. v. Superior Moire Co., 237 F.2d 283 (3d Cir. 1956); Sylvania Industrial Corp. v. Visking Corp., 132 F.2d 947 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 319 U.S. 777, 63 S.Ct. 1033, 87 L.Ed. 1723 (1943), the purging is of no avail to defendant. Defendant's arguments assume a reversal of the District Court's determination of patent invalidity and, thereby, assume the possibility of post-misuse patent royalties. Since we affirm the District Court's determination of patent invalidity, defendant cannot be entitled to patent royalties after the filing of plaintiff's suit for a declaratory judgment. Lear, Inc. v. Adkins, 395 U.S. 653, 89 S.Ct. 1902, 23 L.Ed.2d 610 (1969); PPG Industries, Inc. v. Westwood Chemical, Inc., 530 F.2d 700 (6th Cir. 1976). Plaintiff filed this suit on April 13, 1976, and the offending clause was not removed until more than two years later on June 1, 1978. The issue of whether the misuse was purged is, therefore, moot. 36