Topgolf’s Win on Game Patent Upheld by Federal Circuit

Topgolf International Inc.'s successful challenge to part of a patent covering a “method of playing a point-scoring golfing game at a driving range” was upheld by the Federal Circuit on Monday.

Amit Agarwal’s invention was already disclosed in prior art, the court affirmed.

Agarwal owns U.S. Patent No. 5,370,389, covering a driving range game in which players get points when they hit target greens. The greens slope downward toward a hole, and the ball is scanned after it enters the hole to update the golfer’s score, which is then displayed on computers at the tee where the ball came from. ...