ClaimConstructionHistory

WilliamFisher

SomeoftheseslidesareadaptedfromWilliamLee,“TheRoadtoPhillips”

ShiftingEmphasesinClaimConstruction• Teleflex,Inc.v.Ficosa NorthAmerica,299F.3d1313(Fed.Cir.2002)• InvernessMedicalv.WarnerLambert,309F.3d1373(Fed.Cir.2002)• TexasDigitalSystemsv.Telegenix,Inc.,308F.3d1193(Fed.Cir.2002)• RiverwoodInt’lv.R.A.Jones&Co.,324F.3d1346(2003)• Altiris,Inc.v.SymantecCorp.,318F.3d1363(2003)• RambusInc.v.InfineonTechs.,318F.3d1081(2003)• ApexInc.v.RaritanComputer,Inc.,325F.3d1364(2003)• Brookhill-Wilk1,LLCv.IntuitiveSurgical,Inc.,326F.3d1215(2003)• NorthropGrummanCorp.v.Intel,325F.3d1346(2003)• RFDelaware,Inc.v.PacificKeystoneTechs.,326F.3d1255(2003)• Moba,B.V.v.DiamondAutomation,Inc.,325F.3d1306(2003)• StorageTech.Corp.v.CiscoSystems,329F.3d823(2003)• AbbottLabsv.BaxterPharms.,334F.3d1274(2003)• Sunrace RootsEnterpriseCo.v.SRAMCorp.,336F.3d1298(2003)• ResonateInc.v.Alteon Websystems,Inc.,338F.3d1360(2003)• AnchorWallSys.,Inc.v.RockwoodRetainingWalls,Inc., 340F.3d1298(2003)• E-PassTechs.,Inc.v.3ComCorp.,343F.3d1364(2003)• ArlingtonIndus.v.BridgeportFittings,Inc.,345F.3d1318(2003)• ACTV,Inc.v.WaltDisneyCo.,346F.3d1082(2003)

2002-2003:Deemphasizespecification;emphasize“ordinarymeaning”ofclaimtermsanddictionaries

2004:Shiftawayfromplainmeaning;castbroadernet

2005:Phillips(en banc)

ShiftingEmphasesinClaimConstruction

• SuperGuide Corp.v.DirecTVEnters.,358F.3d870(Fed.Cir.2004)• Alloc,Inc.v.Int’lTradeComm’n,342F.3d1361(Fed.Cir.2003)• MicrosoftCorp.v.Multi-TechSys.,Inc.,357F.3d1340(2004)

• GenzymeCorp.v.Transkaryotic Therapies,Inc.,346F.3d1094(Fed.Cir.2003)• Kinik Co.v.Int’lTradeComm’n,362F.3d1359(2004)

2002-2003:Deemphasizespecification;emphasize“ordinarymeaning”ofclaimtermsanddictionaries

2003-2004:SomeCAFCjudgesadvocateshiftawayfromplainmeaning;castbroadernet

2005:Phillips(en banc)

October 25, 2017

Wagner&PetherbridgeStudy• PosittwodifferentapproachestoclaiminterpretationinCAFCdecisionsfrom1996to2005:

• “Procedural”• Formalprocess,featuringhierarchyamongpossiblesourcesofguidance• Typicallybeginwithordinarymeaning,derivedfromdictionaries,referenceworks,commonusage

• Deviatefromthatmeaningonlyifspecifiedconditionsexist• E.g.,patenteechoosestobeownlexicographer• E.g.,nodiscernibleordinarymeaningtotheterm

• E.g.,Johnsonv.Zebco,175F.3d985(1999)• “Holistic”

• Free-form;seekingcorrectmeaninginthecircumstancesofeachcase• Lessconcernedwith“ordinarymeaning”• E.g.,Wangv.AOL,197F.3d1377(1999)

October 25, 2017 © 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

• Threejudgesarestrong“proceduralists”• Dyk,Clevenger,Linn

• Threejudgesarestrong“holistics”• Lourie,Bryson,Newman

• “Swing”judgesnotstatisticallyalignedwitheithercamp• Rader,Michel,Mayer,Gajarsa,Archer,Plager,Schall,Rich

Wagner&PetherbridgeStudy

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

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© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

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“Proceduralists”“Swing”

“Holistics”