Preload of Generic Software Precludes Finding of Substantial Transformation in U.S. When Replaced with Proprietary Software That Enhanced Functionality
Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 05.31.16
Customs and Border Protection has released its final determination concerning different versions of certain network transceivers and high speed cabling devices that require software to be functional. CBP concluded that “blank” network transceivers imported into the U.S. where proprietary software was first downloaded were substantially transformed in the U.S., whereas network transceivers already programmed with generic software when imported were not substantially transformed by subsequent replacement of the generic software with proprietary software that enhanced and broadened functionality allowing interoperability with different OEM systems.
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Client Alert | 2 min read | 11.14.25
Claim construction is a key stage of most patent litigations, where the court must decide the meaning of any disputed terms in the patent claims. Generally, claim terms are given their plain and ordinary meaning except under two circumstances: (1) when the patentee acts as its own lexicographer and sets out a definition for the term; and (2) when the patentee disavows the full scope of the term either in the specification or during prosecution. Thorner v. Sony Comput. Ent. Am. LLC, 669 F.3d 1362, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 2012). The Federal Circuit’s recent decision in Aortic Innovations LLC v. Edwards Lifesciences Corp. highlights that patentees can act as their own lexicographers through consistent, interchangeable usage of terms across the specification, effectively defining terms by implication.
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.14.25
Microplastics Update: Regulatory and Litigation Developments in 2025
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.13.25
