United States Federal Circuit - March 2003 Opinion Summaries

NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP. v. INTEL CORP.

Cyberspace Law, Intellectual Property, Patent
The district court unduly restrictively construed two claims of a patent for a "Bus Interface Unit," thus the judgment is reversed and remanded.

RIVERWOOD INT'L CORP. v. R.A. JONES & CO., INC.

Intellectual Property, Patent
The district court erred in its conclusion that a patent directed to food packaging methods and machines is prior art. The district court did not err...

HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE, INC. v. PROMEGA CORP.

Drugs & Biotech, Intellectual Property, Patent
Regarding a DNA polymerase chain reaction invention, the district court did not clearly err in 1) finding that the inventors misrepresented the prior...

MYORE v. PRINCIPI

Administrative Law, Government Benefits, Military Law
Because plaintiff has not appealed from a final order, her appeal is dismissed where the Veterans Court vacated and remanded her claim for...

EATON CORP. v. ROCKWELL INT'L CORP.

Intellectual Property, Patent, Transportation
The district court erroneously determined that the preamble of a claim directed at heavy-duty truck transmissions was not a limitation of the claim,...

SALINAS v. US

Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Government Law, Labor & Employment Law
A government employee's suit for back pay for a period of suspension following his indictment in a state court was properly dismissed for lack of...

WELCH v. DEP'T OF THE ARMY

Government Law, Labor & Employment Law, Military Law
An Army Corps of Engineers officer failed to show that he was constructively demoted when the Corps changed the classification of his position but...

COAST FEDERAL BANK v. US

Banking Law, Commercial Law, Contracts, Remedies
An Assistance Agreement unambiguously incorporates Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which require the amortization of goodwill, thus damages...

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. v. SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL, INC.

Intellectual Property, Patent
The district court improperly broadened the function of a communications satellite patent claim limitation by "reading out" the remaining claim...

THE W. CO. N. AM. v. US

Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Tax Law
The "one-claim rule" of 26 U.S.C. section 6427(i) applies to tax credits under section 34, but does not preclude the timely filing of amendments to...