Divided Federal Circuit Disallows Recovery Of Interest As Damages
Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 10.14.04
Under the "a rose is a rose by any other name" theory, Judge Dyk for the majority in England v. Contel Advanced Systems, Inc. (Oct. 6, 2004) found the ASBCA had improperly granted interest as damages to the contractor when the Navy breached its obligation to reduce the contract price and so the contractor had had to borrow an inflated amount in order to perform. Judge Newman in dissent pointed out that the "no interest" rule dictated by sovereign immunity applies only when interest is requested on other damages, not when the basic damage itself is payment of interest.
Insights
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).
Client Alert | 5 min read | 11.26.25
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.25.25
Brussels Court Clarifies the EU’s SPC Manufacturing Waiver Regulation Rules
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.24.25
