February 06, 2017
Authored and Edited by Jonathan J. Fagan; Kevin D. Rodkey; Elizabeth D. Ferrill
In Tinnus Enterprises, LLC v. Telebrands Corp., No. 16-1410 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 24, 2017), the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of a preliminary injunction, finding no clear error in that decision.
Tinnus sued Telebrands for infringement of Tinnus’s patent directed to a hose attachment that fills multiple water balloons at once. Tinnus moved for a preliminary injunction, which was granted by the district court.
On appeal, the Federal Circuit affirmed. The court concluded that it was not improper for the district court to rely on Telebrands’ instruction manuals to show infringement when analyzing the likelihood of success on the merits. The court also rejected Telebrands’ invalidity challenge that the claim term “substantially filled” was indefinite. As the court explained, according to the patent, “if the balloons detach after shaking, then they are ‘substantially filled.’” The court “[found] it difficult to believe” that the person of ordinary skill in the art, reading the specification, “would be unable to determine with reasonable certainty when a water balloon is ‘substantially filled.’” The court then determined that there was no error in the district court’s finding of irreparable harm to Tinnus. The court explained that the district court’s use of evidence from before the patent issued was “circumstantial evidence demonstrating the possibility of identical harms once the patent issues,” and also concluded that the district court properly relied on post-issuance evidence that precludes finding clear error.
Copyright © 2017 Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP.
DISCLAIMER: Although we wish to hear from you, information exchanged in this blog cannot and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not post any information that you consider to be personal or confidential. If you wish for Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP to consider representing you, in order to establish an attorney-client relationship you must first enter a written representation agreement with Finnegan. Contact us for additional information. One of our lawyers will be happy to discuss the possibility of representation with you. Additional disclaimer information.
INCONTESTABLE® Blog
May 3, 2024
INCONTESTABLE® Blog
Courts and Legislators Addressing the Right of Publicity in the Age of AI
April 30, 2024
At the PTAB Blog
IPR and PGR Statistics for Final Written Decisions Issued in March 2024
April 30, 2024
Due to international data regulations, we’ve updated our privacy policy. Click here to read our privacy policy in full.
We use cookies on this website to provide you with the best user experience. By accepting cookies, you agree to our use of cookies. Please note that if you opt not to accept or if you disable cookies, the “Your Finnegan” feature on this website will be disabled as well. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.
Finnegan is thrilled to announce the launch of our new blog, Ad Law Buzz, devoted solely to breaking news, developments, trends, and analysis in advertising law.