Presidio Components, Inc. v. American Technical Ceramics Corp.

Presidio alleged infringement of its patent, which claims a multilayer capacitor design and teaches a multilayer integrated network of capacitors electrically connected in series and in parallel. While the suit was pending, ATC sought an ex parte reexamination of the patent in light of new prior art. The examiner rejected the claims as anticipated and obvious. Presidio amended the claims. The Patent and Trademark Office issued a reexamination certificate for the patent. Based on the amended claims, a jury found direct infringement and induced infringement of six claims by the accused products and that Presidio had proven by clear and convincing evidence that ATC’s infringement of the asserted claims was willful. The jury awarded Presidio $2,166,654 in lost profit damages and issued an advisory verdict that ATC failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that claim 1 was indefinite. The district court upheld the findings, in favor of Presidio, but denied Presidio’s motion for enhanced damages. The Federal Circuit affirmed that the claims are not indefinite, that enhanced damages were appropriate, and that ATC is entitled to absolute intervening rights because a substantive amendment was made during reexamination but held that the evidence did not support an award of lost profits, vacated an injunction, and remanded for determination of a reasonable royalty. View "Presidio Components, Inc. v. American Technical Ceramics Corp." on Justia Law