United States Federal Circuit

In a patent dispute involving a vest garment with a built-in seat, a contempt order and accompanying sanctions entered against defendant are reversed where defendant's redesigned device could not reasonably be found to literally infringe the subject patent, and thus, it was error to holding it in civil contempt for violating a settlement agreement and consent judgment resulting from a previous patent infringement suit.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/06/2007
• Published 04/06/2007

Judges

• NEWMAN, Circuit Judge., Before CLEVENGER, Senior Circuit Judge, NEWMAN and DYK, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Federal Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• JoAnn T. Sandifer, Husch & Eppenberger, LLC, of St. Louis, MO, argued for plaintiff-appellee., Thomas I. Ross, Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP, of Chicago, IL, argued for defendant-appellant.   With him on the brief was Matthew C. Nielsen.