Core Optical Patent Suits Against Nokia, Cisco Revived on Appeal

The Federal Circuit revived patent lawsuits against Nokia Corp., ADVA Optical Networking SE, and Cisco Systems Inc., vacating a district court ruling that the plaintiff didn’t own the patent at issue and therefore couldn’t sue.

Mark Core, founder of plaintiff Core Optical Technologies LLC came up with the invention later captured in an optical signaling patent while studying for a doctorate at the University of California, Irvine—part of a fellowship funded by his then employer TRW Inc.

Nokia convinced the district court that TRW owned the patent under the terms of an invention agreement with Core because it ...