February 2014

Looking Ahead

On January 10, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in two patent cases:  Limelight Networks, Inc. v. Akamai Technologies, Inc. (No. 12-786), and Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc. (No. 13-369).  In Limelight, the Supreme Court will consider whether liability for inducing patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. § 271(b) requires as a prerequisite direct patent infringement under § 271(a).  In Nautilus, the Supreme Court will review the Federal Circuit’s “insolubly ambiguous” standard for indefiniteness under § 112’s requirement that patent claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention.  Stay tuned to future editions of Last Month at the Federal Circuit to see how the pending decisions affect future Federal Circuit decisions.