United States Federal Circuit

In a suit for infringement of a patent covering a boron steel sheet with an aluminum-based coating after rolling the sheet to its final thickness, which is used for "hot-stamping," a process which involves rapidly heating the steel, judgment of the district court is: 1) reversed to its claim construction of claim 1 where the court erred by interpreting the claim term "hot-rolled steel sheet" to exclude steel sheet subsequently cold-rolled; 2) affirmed as to the district court's construction of "the steel sheet has a very high mechanical resistance"; 3) reversed as to the jury's anticipation verdict; and 4) vacated and remanded as to the jury's obviousness verdict for a new trial addressing the commercial success aspect of obviousness and infringement under the correct claim construction.

Appellate Information

• Decided 11/30/2012
• Published 11/30/2012

Judges

• Dyk

Court

• United States Federal Circuit

Counsel