NY Patent Decisions Blog

On September 30, 2016, District Judge Alvin Hellerstein (S.D.N.Y.) denied defendant Nautilus, Inc.’s (“Nautilus”) motion for summary judgment of non-infringement holding that “disposed on said elongated member” does not necessarily mean directly on that member. Plaintiff Biosig Instruments, Inc. (“Biosig”) sued Nautilus for...

Judge Hellerstein Holds That “Arranged On” Means “Connected In Some Fashion”

October 7, 2016

On September 26, 2016, District Judge Paul Oetken (S.D.N.Y.) denied defendant Jay Franco & Sons’ (“Franco”) motion to dismiss, granted plaintiff Infinity Headwear & Apparel’s (“Infinity”) motion for leave to amend to assert additional claims, and laid out the Court’s construction of...

Judge Oetken Holds that Amendments Made During Ex Parte Reexamination Are not Effective Until Grant of Reissue Patent

October 7, 2016

On September 28, 2016, District Judge Gregory Woods (S.D.N.Y.) denied defendant YKK Corp.’s (“YKK”) motion to dismiss the suit, in which plaintiffs Au New Haven, LLC (“Au New Haven”) and Trelleborg Coated Systems US, Inc. (“Trelleborg”) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) allege infringement of U.S....

Judge Woods Holds That Assignment of a Patent is Not an Assignment of an “Interest” Under a License to the Patent

October 3, 2016

On September 16, 2016, District Judge J. Paul Oetken (S.D.N.Y.) denied plaintiff Comcast Corp.’s (“Comcast”) motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to enjoin defendant Rovi Corp. (“Rovi”) from continuing to litigate its patent infringement actions against Comcast in the Eastern District of...

Judge Oetken Holds That Forum-Selection Clause in License Agreement Does Not Trump First-to-File Rule Altogether

September 21, 2016

On September 12, 2016, District Judge John G. Koeltl (S.D.N.Y.) granted the defendants’ motions to dismiss for failure to state claim of patent infringement under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”) 12(b)(6). Claims other than patent infringement remain in the case. Plaintiffs Gym...

No Way Out for Door Patent

September 16, 2016

On August 9, 2016, District Judge Ronnie Abrams (S.D.N.Y.) granted defendant Richloom Fabrics Group, Inc.’s motion to dismiss plaintiff Anchor Sales & Marketing, Inc.’s allegation of patent infringement based on the doctrine of equivalents. Richloom Fabrics’ motion to dismiss, or alternatively...

Judge Abrams Dismisses Case Based on Arguments Made to the PTO During Prosecution

August 18, 2016

On August 3, 2016, S.D.N.Y. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest denied Defendant Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (“Lowe’s”) motion to dismiss Iron Gate Security, Inc.’s (“Iron Gate”) patent infringement claim. Iron Gate alleged that Lowe’s infringed U.S. Patent Nos. 6,288,641 and 7,203,693 (the “‘693 patent”),...

Judge Forrest Provides Litigants Guidance on Applying Alice

August 9, 2016

On July 28, 2016, District Judge Denise Cote (S.D.N.Y.) granted defendants AlphaCap Ventures, LLC’s, a non-practicing entity, and Richard Juarez’s (collectively, “AlphaCap”) motion to dismiss plaintiff Gust, Inc.’s (“Gust”) allegations of (1) attempted monopolization under the Sherman Act; (2) patent misuse; and...

Judge Cote Finds Initiating Lawsuits to Obtain Settlements Rather Than a Determination on the Merits is Not an Abuse of Process

August 4, 2016

On July 29, 2016, S.D.N.Y. District Judge William H. Pauley III granted defendant PlayerLync, LLC’s (“PlayerLync”) motion for judgment on the pleadings and dismissed plaintiffs Multimedia Plus, Inc. and Multimedia Technologies, LLC’s (collectively “Multimedia”) patent infringement action. Multimedia alleged that PlayerLync infringed U.S....

Judge Pauley Holds That Administering a Test Using a Computer Is Not Patent-Eligible Under § 101

August 3, 2016

On July 21, 2016, District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein (S.D.N.Y.) denied Defendants JP Morgan Chase & Co., JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Chase Bank USA, National Association, Chase PaymenTech Solutions LLC, and PaymenTech LLC's (“JPMC”) motion for summary judgment of non-infringement. JPMC’s motion...

Judge Hellerstein Denies Summary Judgment of Non-Infringement Based On Arguments that “Appear Not to Be Persuasive”

July 26, 2016

On June 14, 2016, S.D.N.Y. District Judge Colleen McMahon granted defendants HTC Corporation, HTC America, Inc., Blackberry Limited, Blackberry Corporation, and Motorola Mobility LLC’s (collectively “Defendants”) motion to dismiss with prejudice a patent infringement complaint filed by plaintiff Advanced Video Technologies LLC...

Judge McMahon Dismisses Case Because Agreement that Inventor “will assign” Doesn’t Mean “did assign”

July 25, 2016

On June 1, 2016, District Judge Gregory H. Woods (S.D.N.Y.) granted Defendant ASUS Computer International’s (“ACI’s”) motion to transfer its patent infringement suit to the Northern District of California, where it is headquartered. ACI filed its motion in response to a complaint filed...

Judge Woods Holds Multiple Lawsuits on Same Patent Is Not A “Meaningful Connection” to S.D.N.Y. For Venue

June 21, 2016

On June 3, 2016, District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti (S.D.N.Y.) stayed a patent infringement action brought by plaintiff Marine Travelift (“Marine”) against defendant K. Graefe & Sons Corp. (“Graefe”), pending the resolution of patent litigation between Marine and ASCOM in the United...

Judge Briccetti Stays Patent Case Against a Customer Pending Resolution of Lawsuit Against Supplier

June 20, 2016

On April 29, 2016, S.D.N.Y. District Judge Thomas P. Griesa granted Defendants Actavis, Inc., Actavis South Atlantic LLC (together “Actavis”) and Roxane Laboratories, Inc.'s motion to correct the court’s August 14, 2015 judgment by ruling that Endo was not entitled to relief...

Judge Griesa Grants Endo an Injunction Against Generic Manufacturers of Opioid Opana ER

May 2, 2016

On April 24, 2016, District Judge Jed S. Rakoff (S.D.N.Y.) ruled that defendants Nintendo Co., Ltd. and Nintendo of America, Inc.'s (collectively, “Nintendo”)’s 3DS pocket gaming console does not infringe Tomita Technologies USA, LLC (“Tomita”)’s U.S. Patent No. 7,417,664 (“the ’664 patent”)...

Judge Rakoff Holds a 3-D “Magic Trick” Implemented With Software Is Not Equivalent to One Implemented With Hardware

April 28, 2016

Eastern District of New York (E.D.N.Y.)

Judge Bianco Holds EasyWeb’s “Publishing Patent” Is Not Infringed Even Though It Broadly Claims an Abstract Idea

On March 30, 2016, District Court Judge Joseph F. Bianco granted defendant Twitter Inc.'s ("Twitter") motions for summary judgment of invalidity and non-infringement against plaintiff EasyWeb Innovations, LLC ("EasyWeb"), holding that EasyWeb's asserted patents (the "patents-in-suit") were not directed to eligible subject...

April 1, 2016

Eastern District of New York (E.D.N.Y.)

Expert Can’t Testify for Plaintiff After Consulting for Defendant

On March 22, 2016, E.D.N.Y. District Judge Brian M. Cogan granted defendant Clorox Co.’s motion to disqualify plaintiff Auto-Kaps LLC’s expert and strike his affidavit from its summary judgment opposition. Auto-Kaps alleged that Clorox’s “Smart Tube” bottle infringes U.S. Patent No. 7,490,743...

March 25, 2016

On March 15, 2016, District Judge Alison J. Nathan granted defendant Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc.’s (“Breckenridge”) motion for summary judgement of noninfringement of plaintiff Braintree Laboratories Inc.’s (“Braintree”) U.S. Patent No. 6,946,149 (the “‘149 patent”). Breckenridge had sought FDA approval of...

Patent Arithmetic: 2 x 473mL Is Greater Than 500mL

March 24, 2016

On March 16, 2016, District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin (S.D.N.Y.) granted in part defendant Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (“Lowe’s”)’s motion to dismiss plaintiff Iron Gate Security, Inc. (“Iron Gate”)’s Complaint. Iron Gate commenced the action on November 11, 2015, alleging direct infringement, induced...

Pleading Merely that Defendant Had Knowledge of the Patent is Insufficient to Support a Willful Infringement Claim

March 22, 2016

Eastern District of New York (E.D.N.Y.)

Default Leads to Broad Injunction Against Infringement

On March 8, 2016, Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak recommended to grant in part plaintiff JAB Distributors, LLC's ("JAB's") motion for a default judgment against defendant Home Linen Collections ("HLC"). JAB filed its complaint against HLC on November 21, 2014, alleging, among other...

March 21, 2016

Split How Many Ways?--A Single Verdict on Damages Requires A New Damages Trial Following Post-Trial Invalidation of One of the Two Asserted Patents

On February 24, 2016, District Judge Jed S. Rakoff ordered a new trial as to the damages awarded against defendants Barnes & Noble, Inc., Barnesandnoble.com LLC, and NOOK Media LLC’s (collectively “B&N”) for their popular e-reader device, the Nook. In November 2014,...

March 10, 2016

On February 22, 2016, District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin (S.D.N.Y.) granted counterclaim-defendants WPP PLC’s and its subsidiaries’ (collectively, “the WPP Companies”) motion for summary judgment of patent invalidity under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The WPP Companies commenced this action in...

S.D.N.Y. Holds That There is No Presumption of § 101 Patent-Eligibility

March 1, 2016

On February 19, 2016, District Judge Paul A. Crotty granted defendant Attilio Giusti Leombruni S.P.A.’s (“AGL’s”) motion to dismiss the patent infringement claim of plaintiff Lori Silverman and her company Lsil. Col. (“Plaintiffs”). Plaintiffs had alleged that two models of AGL shoes, the...

Judge Can’t Find Infringement in Camouflage Shoe-Sole Patent Case

February 29, 2016

On January 4, 2016, District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin held that several phrases using the term “substantial” were sufficiently definite and did not require construction, while finding that several of plaintiff Verint Systems Inc.’s (“Verint”) claims invoked means-plus-function (“MPF”) claiming and were...

“Substantial” Is Precise Enough but Means-Plus-Function Claims Need More Specificity

January 21, 2016

On December 22, 2015, District Judge Nelson D. Roman denied plaintiff Radiancy Inc.’s (“Radiancy”) motion for reconsideration of the Court’s construction of the claim term “pulsed heating.” The Court had previously construed “pulse heating of said one or more heat elements” to mean...

“Pulsed” Means “On/Off”, Not “High/Low”

January 11, 2016

On November 25, 2015, District Judge Laura Swain ordered defendant Bio-Rad to produce information related to foreign sales and profits of its Next Generation Chromatography (“NGC”) protein purification devices, overturning Magistrate Judge Netburn’s previous order that Bio-Rad need not produce such...

Discovery of Foreign Profits and Sales of Accused Products Found Relevant

December 1, 2015

On November 18, 2015, District Judge Colleen McMahon granted defendant Rubard LLC’s (“Rubard”) motion for summary judgment under 35 U.S.C. § 101, holding that U.S. Patent No. 7,346,156 (“the ’156 patent”) is invalid for claiming patent-ineligible subject-matter. The ’156 patent is directed...

A “Clever” Patent on Routing Long-Distance Phone Calls is Held Invalid Under Section 101

November 30, 2015

On November 19, 2015, District Judge Denise Cote granted plaintiffs Canon Inc.’s and Canon U.S.A., Inc.’s (“Canon USA”) motion for summary judgment, holding that (i) because Canon Inc. was retroactively licensed under the asserted patents for certain products (“Océ printers”), it...

Sale to Corporate Affiliate Sufficient to Exhaust Patent Rights

November 23, 2015

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Our Patent Practice

NYPatentDecisionsBlog.com is a source for the latest patent decisions from the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. The blog is authored by Patterson Belknap’s Patent Litigation practice group, whose members are highly experienced trial attorneys with extensive technical knowledge. Many have advanced scientific degrees and industry experience in fields such as communications, electrical and electro-optical technology, semiconductor technology, metallurgical engineering, chemistry and biochemistry. The team represents consumer products, electrical and software, medical device, mechanical, and pharmaceutical companies in a broad range of patent litigation matters, including district court cases, PTO and PTAB trial proceedings, patent licensing and contractual disputes concerning patent rights.

Firm Highlights

Clint Morrison to Speak at Kisaco Research's 2026 Trade Secret Legal Protection North America Conference

On Monday, September 14, Partner Clint Morrison will speak on a panel at Kisaco Research's 2026 Trade Secret Legal Protection North America Conference titled "Reverse Engineering and Trade Secret Misappropriation: Where Courts are Drawing the Line." Mr. Morrison will join Carl Alexander Dinges (Partner, Bonabry), Eda Stark (Global IP Transactions & Litigation Managing Counsel, Olympus), and Victoria Cundiff (Adjust Professor, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School) to discuss when a reverse engineering defense may be helpful, and how recent decisions have brought the defense under the spotlight. To learn more, please click here.

SEC Proposes Regulation E-Delivery: How Will E-Delivery Work?

On July 16, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or “Commission”) proposed Regulation E-Delivery[i], a new regulatory framework that would permit covered entities to deliver required information to investors and other recipients electronically as the default method, without first obtaining affirmative consent. In Part 1 of this 3-Part series, we provided an overview of proposed Regulation E-Delivery and defined its key concepts, including covered entities, covered information, and covered recipients. In this Part 2, we provide a high-level overview of how electronic delivery as proposed under Regulation E-Delivery is expected to function. In Part 3, we will address the practical implications Regulation E-Delivery is expected to have on covered entities. How Electronic Delivery is Expected to Work Electronic Address and...

IRS Proposes Standardized Rollover Forms and Process to Facilitate Plan-to-Plan Transfers

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) recently released Notice 2026-49 (the “Notice”), proposing sample forms and a standardized five-step process for rollovers to eligible retirement plans under Section 324 of the SECURE 2.0 Act. The proposed process is intended to simplify, standardize, facilitate, and expedite rollovers by shifting toward standardized, electronic, plan-to-plan processing. Use of the sample forms and procedures is currently optional, and the Notice does not provide safe harbors for plans that adopt them. Background The rollover process has long lacked uniformity, and has been burdened with inefficiencies and delays relating to the use of paper checks. The Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) reached similar conclusions in its 2013 and 2024 reports.[1] The Notice cites these concerns and explains that Section 324...

Firm Achieves Appellate Victory on Behalf of Gilead Sciences

On August 13, 2026, Patterson Belknap secured a significant appellate victory for our client, Gilead Sciences, Inc. (“Gilead”), in a trademark lawsuit brought to stop the alleged illegal importation and sale in the United States of international, non-FDA-approved Gilead medicines. The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s issuance of a preliminary injunction against all defendants in the action, enjoining them from violating Gilead’s trademark rights by importing or facilitating the importation of these foreign medicines through illicit and potentially unsafe channels. The lawsuit was initially filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in December 2024, after Gilead received a report from a concerned physician that a Maryland patient had received through the mail...

Firm Partners to Speak at Kisaco Research's 2026 Pharma & Biotech Patent Litigation North America Conference

On Tuesday, September 15, Partners Andrew D. Cohen and Lachlan S. Campbell-Verduyn will moderate a roundtable discussion at Kisaco Research's 2026 Pharma & Biotech Patent Litigation North America Conference titled "Formulation, Delivery, and Route-of-Administration Patents." Dr. Cohen and Dr. Campbell-Verduyn will explore how branded and biosimilar companies build, litigate, and defend formulation and delivery patents as core composition claims expire and these assets become the last line of exclusivity. To learn more, please click here.

Firm Secures Complete Patent Litigation Victory on Behalf of J&J

On August 31, 2026, Patterson Belknap secured a victory on behalf of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) in a Hatch-Waxman patent infringement litigation relating to Spravato®, its blockbuster esketamine nasal spray approved for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation. This litigation was initiated after an ANDA filing by Sandoz, Inc. (“Sandoz”) in 2023, seeking FDA approval for its generic version of Spravato. Janssen asserted that Sandoz’s proposed generic product would infringe certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 11,446,260, 10,869,844; 11,173,134; and 11,311,500. Sandoz counterclaimed for declaratory judgment that each of the asserted patent claims was invalid under 35 U.S.C. §103 and/or § 112. On August 31, 2026, the U.S. District...

Blog Post

SEC Enforcement Launches New Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit

On August 5, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced its most recent step in its shift of enforcement priorities with the establishment of a new Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit.[1] According to the SEC’s press release, the Unit will operate within the Enforcement Division as a central resource for all SEC divisions pursuing financial reporting fraud as well as broader efforts.[2] This move is the latest in Chair Atkin’s efforts to “retur[n] the agency to its core mission of protecting investors; facilitating capital formation; and maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets.”[3] Commenting on the new unit’s launch, David Woodcock, Director of the Agency’s Enforcement Division, stated: Since my return to the Division, I have been assessing every aspect of our staffing to...

Blog Post

AI Companies Find Value in Bankrupt Companies

Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy in November 2024 and, after emerging from bankruptcy, filed again in August 2025. During the second case, the company tried to find a way to keep the airline in business but to no avail. In May 2026, Spirit Airlines pivoted towards a wind-down and ceased operations. This summer, as a part of its wind-down, Spirit Airlines began marketing its remaining assets. It had plenty of traditional assets to sell. For example, the debtors’ bid procedures motion filed in May 2026 listed the following assets: takeoff and landing slots at LaGuardia Airport; aircraft hangar(s); corporate headquarters; training center; multi-family residential buildings; ground service equipment; spare engines; flight simulators; aircraft maintenance equipment; and assets related to the...

Blog Post

Fees Recoverable by Oversecured Creditors in Bankruptcy: The Application of Code Sections 506(b) and 502(b)

Bankruptcy Code section 506(b) entitles an oversecured creditor to post-petition interest and reasonable fees and other charges. Are a creditor’s pre-petition charges also subject to a court’s view of what is reasonable? Courts are split on this issue. A judge in New York recently explained why, in his view, reasonableness is not the right standard for the pre-petition portion of a claim. Pre-petition charges should be determined by applicable state law and not a judge’s analysis of what is reasonable. In re 1300 Desert Willow Road, LLC, No. 25-11375, 2026 WL 2088511 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Jul. 20, 2026). The debtor is a single-asset real estate company. The creditor had loaned the debtor $20 million secured by a mortgage on real property. The debtor...

SEC Proposes Regulation E-Delivery: Practical Implications

On July 16, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or “Commission”) proposed Regulation E-Delivery[i], a new regulatory framework that would permit covered entities to deliver required information to investors and other recipients electronically as the default method, without first obtaining affirmative consent. Comments on the proposal are due September 21, 2026, and the Commission proposes a two-year compliance period following any final rule adoption. In Part 1 of this series, we provided an overview of proposed Regulation E-Delivery and defined its key concepts, including covered entities, covered information, and covered recipients. In Part 2, we explained how electronic delivery would function under the proposed rule. In Part 3, we address the practical implications and the potential economic impact...

Clint Morrison to Speak at Kisaco Research's 2026 Trade Secret Legal Protection North America Conference

SEC Proposes Regulation E-Delivery: How Will E-Delivery Work?

IRS Proposes Standardized Rollover Forms and Process to Facilitate Plan-to-Plan Transfers

Firm Achieves Appellate Victory on Behalf of Gilead Sciences

Firm Partners to Speak at Kisaco Research's 2026 Pharma & Biotech Patent Litigation North America Conference