Fed. Circ. Backs Nestle in Food Packaging Patent Cases

On March 13, 2018 the Federal Circuit ruled in favor of Finnegan client Nestle in its suit against Steuben Foods. The appeals court issued two precedential opinions, upholding a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decision that found that Nestle proved various claims of one of Steuben's food bottling patents are obvious in light of prior art. In a separate decision, the appeals court vacated the PTAB's decision to keep one claim in another Steuben patent in tact. 

In 2013, Steuben filed suit against Nestle, alleging infringement of five patents covering technology that allows sterile food to be bottled quickly, preserving it from contamination.