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ARTICLE · 08 MAY 2013

No Discovery Permitted In Inter Partes Reexamination Proceedings

Addressing for the first time whether 35 U.S.C. §24 empowered a district court to issue a subpoena in an inter partes reexamination proceeding, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that § 24 only empowered a district court to issue a subpoena in proceedings in which regulations specifically authorize the parties to take depositions and went on to conclude that subpoenas were not permitted in inter partes reexamination proceedings.

United StatesIntellectual Property

Abbott Labs. v. Cordis Corp.

Addressing for the first time whether 35 U.S.C. §24 empowered a district court to issue a subpoena in an inter partes reexamination proceeding, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that § 24 only empowered a district court to issue a subpoena in proceedings in which regulations specifically authorize the parties to take depositions and went on to conclude that subpoenas were not permitted in inter partes reexamination proceedings.  Abbott Labs. v. Cordis Corp., Case No. 12-1244 (Fed. Cir., Mar. 20, 2013) (Dyk, J.).

Cordis sued Abbott and another company alleging infringement of two patents held by Cordis for drug-eluting stents.  The two defendants requested inter partes reexaminations of both patents.  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) agreed to reexamine both patents and rejected all challenged claims as obvious.  In response, Cordis submitted an expert affidavit asserting secondary considerations of

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