KSR International v. Teleflex, Inc.: Supreme Court Agrees to Weigh in on Obvious Patents; CCIA Praises Court’s Efforts

File Under: 2006, Copyright

Jun 26, 2006

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case on patent “obviousness” today in an order granting certiorari. CCIA called for the Court to hear the case in testimony offered to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Internet, and Intellectual Property in June 2005. CCIA also urged the Department of Justice to support certiorari in a recent letter to the U.S. Solicitor General. In a brief filed in May 2006, the Solicitor General recommended the Court hear the case in order to review the “Federal Circuit’s rigorous and inflexible [approach] that unnecessarily sustains patents that would otherwise be subject to invalidation as obvious.”

CCIA applauds the Court’s decision, which will provide an opportunity to reduce uncertainty in the technology industry and stem the tide of patents being improperly granted under currently lax standards.

“The decision today represents yet another example of the Supreme Court’s efforts to more closely supervise the decisions of the specialized patent appeals court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit,” said CCIA Senior Counsel Matthew Schruers.

Contact: Will Rodger, 202-783-0070 ext. 105