Brita Rivals Get US Trade Agency to Flip Water-Filter Ruling (1)

Clorox Co.’s Brita unit lost its bid to ban US imports of rival water filters used to remove lead from pitchers in part because of the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling that voided an Amgen Inc. patent for failing to enable others to replicate the claimed results.

The US International Trade Commission for the first time leaned on the high court’s May 18 ruling that affirmed the narrow scope of a patent law requirement known as “enablement” when it reversed part of trade judge’s findings that had upheld a Brita LP patent related to gravity-fed water filters.

The commission announced ...