Delaware Federal Court Patent Decisions Clearing BMW Upheld by Fed. Circ.

On October 15, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit refused to reexamine a case accusing Finnegan client BMW of infringing a pair of cruise control system patents. This affirms how a lower court interpreted key claim terms when it cleared the automotive giant in the litigation.

A three-judge panel of the circuit court agreed with a Delaware federal court’s decision to issue summary judgment in favor of BMW in a lawsuit brought by patent owner Carrum Technologies LLC.

Carrum had challenged the lower court's construction relating to the terms "a controller" and "change," but the panel said in its nonprecedential decision that nothing was wrong with the lower court's interpretation.

For instance, Carrum said the district court was wrong in finding that "a controller" means there is at least one controller, but the panel said "the plain language of the claims requires that at least one of the one or more controllers performs all of the controller's recited functions."

Carrum sued BMW, accusing the automaker of infringing two patents related to a feature that helps adaptive cruise control systems in vehicles operate safely and comfortably on a curve. The lower court granted BMW summary judgment of noninfringement of the two patents, according to court documents.

Finnegan partner Lionel Lavenue said in a statement to Law360 that the litigation team is "pleased that the Federal Circuit affirmed the judgment from the Delaware district court, which validated BMW's position."

"This great result for BMW is the product of sustained, strategic advocacy, and BMW's commitment to defending its innovative technologies against unfounded claims," Lionel said.

Read “Delaware Federal Court Patent Decisions Clearing Ford, BMW Upheld by Fed. Circ.”