Case: Patents/Obviousness & Specification (Fed. Cir.)

The Federal Circuit affirmed the decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board that claims of Columbia Insurance Co.'s patent that relates to a construction product called a truss hanger are unpatentable as obvious over prior art or lacking written description, in a post-grant review by Simpson Strong-Tie Co. Inc. The court affirmed the unpatentability of some claims because substantial evidence supports the board’s decision that they lack written description or are unpatentable as obvious over prior art, and with respect to Simpson’s cross-appeal, the court affirmed the patentability of a claim as definite and non-obvious.