Federal Circuit Overturns Major Patent Rulings in Apple-Optis Dispute, Calls for New Trial on Infringement and Damages

Tyler, Texas — In a significant ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has analyzed the procedures surrounding jury verdict forms and evidentiary rules in a legal dispute over standard-essential patents (SEPs) between Optis Cellular Technology and Apple Inc. The case highlights complex issues surrounding jury unanimity, the validity of SEP claims, and the admission of evidence related to fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) settlement terms. Optis brought a lawsuit against Apple in the Eastern District of Texas, claiming infringement of five patents essential to Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology. The company alleged … Read more

High-Stakes Trade Dress Showdown: MGA Entertainment’s Infringement Case Heads Back to Jury as Willfulness Question Lingers

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A high-profile trade dress infringement case involving MGA Entertainment and the OMG Girlz musical group is poised to return to a jury for a fourth trial, following a tentative ruling by a federal judge on Monday. Despite MGA’s preference for a bench trial, U.S. District Judge James V. Selna indicated that jurors will re-examine specific aspects of the case. The upcoming proceedings will focus on whether MGA acted willfully in infringing upon the OMG Girlz’s designs. Earlier this year, Judge Selna invalidated a punitive damages award of $53.6 million, initially escalated … Read more

Patent Battle Erupts in Europe: ToolGen Sues Lonza Over CRISPR Technology Infringement Amidst Gene Therapy Breakthroughs

SEOUL, South Korea — ToolGen, a prominent player in genome editing, has initiated legal proceedings against Dutch manufacturer Lonza Netherlands B.V. The lawsuit, filed in The Hague, alleges that Lonza infringes on ToolGen’s patent rights while producing CASGEVY, the first authorized CRISPR-based gene therapy for treating sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. According to the claims, Lonza’s production processes at its Dutch facility violate ToolGen’s European patent (EP 4 357 457), which is centered on the CRISPR-Cas9 RNP technology. CASGEVY, developed collaboratively by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, has gained regulatory approval in multiple regions, including … Read more

Federal Circuit Reverses Jury’s Infringement Ruling in LabCorp vs. Qiagen, Citing Claim Construction Errors

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., has overturned a previous ruling by a district court in a significant patent infringement case involving Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (LabCorp) and Qiagen Sciences, LLC. The appellate court found that the jury’s conclusions regarding patent infringement were not backed by adequate evidence and that the district court had improperly allowed the jury to make determinations on claim construction. LabCorp possesses two patents focused on methods for preparing DNA samples for sequencing, aiming to enhance whole-genome sequencing techniques. The dispute arose when LabCorp … Read more