Potential OCI Short-Circuits Sole-Source Award
Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 01.17.08
In Superlative Technologies, Inc. (Jan. 4, 2008, http://www.gao.gov/decisions/bidpro/310489.pdf), GAO held improper the cancellation of a solicitation by DOJ due to potential Procurement Integrity Act (PIA) and organizational conflict of interest unfair competitive advantage problems when DOJ turned around and awarded a sole-source contract for the same work to a contractor using as a subcontractor the company with the PIA/OCI problem. GAO recommended that DOJ reopen the competition and follow the procurement integrity and OCI regulations to determine the scope of the problem and whether any offerors should be disqualified or other corrective actions should be required.
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
