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Attorney Fees for Claim Preparation Are Recoverable

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 09.21.12

Obviously fighting over principle as the amounts involved were less than $10,000, in Tip Top Constr., Inc. v. Donahoe (Sept. 19, 2012) the contractor was vindicated by the Federal Circuit, which held that it could recover its claim preparation and negotiation costs, including those of its attorney, as those costs were not for claim prosecution. Perhaps the more important principle established, however, was in the reversal of the PSBCA's denial of work hours claimed when they were supported by unrebutted timesheets and declarations.


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Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.26.25

From ‘Second’ to ‘First:’ Federal Circuit Tackles Obvious Claim Errors

Patent claims must be clear and definite, as they set the boundaries of the patentee’s rights. Occasionally, however, claim language contains errors, such as typographical mistakes or incorrect numbering. Courts possess very limited authority to correct such errors. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has emphasized that judicial correction is appropriate only in rare circumstances, where (1) the error is evident from the face of the patent, and (2) the proposed correction is the sole reasonable interpretation in view of the claim language, specification, and prosecution history. See Group One, Ltd. v. Hallmark Cards, Inc., 407 F.3d 1297, 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2005) and Novo Indus., L.P. v. Micro Molds Corp., 350 F.3d 1348, 1357 (Fed. Cir. 2003)....