Patent Case Raising Contract Conflict Triggers Lawyer Skepticism

An inventor trying to save his $1.2 million award is out of line in asserting that the Federal Circuit “turned contract law on its head” with a decision rooted in consistent patent law precedent, attorneys say.

Larry Junker asked the US Supreme Court earlier this month to review the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s ruling that vacated his patent infringement award against Medical Components Inc. and Martech Medical Products. The appeals court said the companies didn’t infringe Junker’s design patent for a medical device because an offer to sell the invention was made more than a year ...