Court Opinion

ID: 9478860
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 07:00:52.077349+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:46:40.039350
License: Public Domain

NEWMAN, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I reach the same result as does the majority of the panel, insofar as it relates to the requested preliminary injunction. However, I do not believe that Epic is barred from all challenge to patent validity as defense to the asserted infringement by the structure shown in Exhibit A.
*1578Paragraph 3 of the consent judgment states that Epic consented to validity on all grounds that were before either the patent office or the court in H.H. Robertson Co. v. Bargar Metal Fabricating Co., 225 USPQ 1191 (N.D.Ohio 1984). While Paragraph 3 does not specifically state that the consent judgment does not extend to grounds that were not before the patent office or the Bargar court, that is its plain meaning. The district court correctly held that Epic “has some latitude” and “is not entirely foreclosed” from arguing invalidity in the future. Epic Metals Corp. v. H.H. Robertson Co., No. 86-1714, slip op. at 9, 10, (W.D.Pa. August 81, 1988).
I believe the district court correctly construed the contract in its second order, id., and in its holding that Epic is not foreclosed from raising the limited challenge to validity authorized by Paragraph 3, in defense of this infringement action brought by virtue of Paragraph 8. The district court did not immunize the asserted infringement by the structure shown in Exhibit A from such defense, as a matter of either claim preclusion or issue preclusion; nor would I. Thus the district court allowed Epic to raise the defense of invalidity based on prior art that was not before the Bargar court or the patent office.
However, such new prior art is sparse indeed. When viewed in light of its cumulative nature as well as decisions of other courts holding that the patent had not been proved invalid, including the decision in H.H. Robertson Co. v. Mac-Fab Products, Inc., 711 F.Supp. 970 (E.D.Mo.1988), it is apparent that H.H. Robertson is likely to prevail on the merits of the issue of validity. The district court erred in holding otherwise. Thus I agree with the panel majority that the case should be remanded for determination of whether the other requirements have been met for the grant of preliminary injunction. See generally H.H. Robertson Co. v. United Steel Deck, Inc., 820 F.2d 384, 387, 2 USPQ2d 1926, 1927 (Fed.Cir.1987).