Court Opinion

ID: 9491609
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 14:18:47.562895+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:54:50.774789
License: Public Domain

CLEVENGER, Circuit Judge,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I agree with the conclusions that the claims in suit are not infringed, either literally or by equivalents, and are not invalid for anticipation or obviousness. I also agree that the claims in suit are not unenforceable for inequitable conduct, and that no error infects the challenged evidentiary rulings. I write separately to indicate a few points of disagreement as to the path followed by the court to the conclusions, and to highlight the point that the claim interpretation, with which I agree, drives both of the infringement conclusions.
There is no infringement in this case because the accused devices lack embossments that make contact with and separate adjacent foil layers. The claims recite “embossments therein separating said layers.” The claim language itself does not speak of point con*552tact. Separation by point contact, as the court’s opinion amply demonstrates, is emphasized in the written description. The claim term “embossments” is thus properly understood to require the function of separation by point contact.
The claim interpretation analysis in this case follows from our recent decision in Vehicular Technologies Corp. v. Titan Wheel Int’l, Inc., 141 F.3d 1084, 46 U.S.P.Q.2d 1257 (Fed.Cir.1998). In that case, the key claim language called for two concentric springs in a spring assembly, and the written description clearly required that the second spring have a back-up spring function. We held in Vehicular Technologies that the back-up function of the second spring affects the range of equivalents available to the paten-tee. Id. at 1091. So it is in this case, as well. Here, the same claim interpretation analysis requires the embossments to function by point contact, a claim requirement that likewise affects the range of equivalents. Because of this analysis, no reasonable juror could find infringement of claim 1 of the ’743 patent under the doctrine of equivalents. As the court notes, the jury deadlocked on that infringement question. The issue was preserved below by post-verdict motions for judgment as a matter of law, and ADT preserves the issue on appeal by challenging the denial of its motion for a new trial on the question of infringement by equivalents.
We need not remand the deadlocked equivalents issue, however, because the claim as interpreted requires point contact to achieve separation of the layers. A claim of infringement by equivalents cannot succeed unless each limitation of a claim is met by an equivalent. Warner-Jenkinson Co. v. Hilton Davis Chem. Co., 520 U.S. 17, 117 S.Ct. 1040, 137 L.Ed.2d 146 (1997) (adopting sub silentio the “all elements” rule of Pennwalt Corp. v. Durand-Wayland, Inc., 833 F.2d 931, 4 U.S.P.Q.2d 1737 (Fed.Cir.1987) (in banc)). Because the accused devices lack any equivalent to the function of point contact, they cannot infringe claim 1 as a matter of law. See Vehicular Technologies 141 F.3d at 1090.
With regard to the issue of inequitable conduct, the district court made no explicit ruling on the materiality of the allegedly nondisclosed matter. ATD Corp. v. Lydall, Inc., No. 94-CV-74320, slip op. at 43-46 (E.D.Mich. Jan. 9, 1995) (Opinion and Order Regarding Motions for Summary Judgment). Instead, the district court hinged its decision on the absence of proof of the requisite intent to deceive. Id. I thus would not dwell on the issue of materiality, as does the court, but instead would simply affirm the district court decision on its stated ground.
I disagree with the court’s view that the district court applied an incorrect standard to test the new trial motion. In the opinion and order denying the Rule 59 motion, the trial court set out the same law that this court states is governing. Compare ATD Corp. v. Lydall, Inc., 43 U.S.P.Q.2d 1170, 1173, 1997 WL 111783, *3 (E.D.Mich.1997) with the Maj. Op. at 549. The trial court then applied that “correct” law and determined that the alleged improper admission of Lydall’s patent did not affect the substantial rights of ADT, because sufficient other evidence was before the jury to sustain its verdict of noninfringement by equivalents. ATD Corp., 43 U.S.P.Q.2d at 1173-79. In a footnote at the end of the discussion of the issue, the district court’s opinion merely comments that even if there had been error in admitting Lydall’s patent, the error would have been harmless. Id. at 1175 n. 6. That comment is unrelated to the correct legal standard that the district court used to decide the Rule 59 motion, and cannot form a predicate for criticism of the district court.
Finally, I do not join the decision to tax costs to Lydall. Although the court speaks harshly of Lydall’s conduct at trial, redress for trial court conduct properly lies in the trial court, not here. I am unaware of any reason to impose costs on Lydall.