In order to establish that the commercial success factor supports a non-obviousness finding, the patentee must establish that a connection (or nexus) exists between the novel aspects of the patent claim(s) and the alleged commercial success. Id.; WesternGeco LLC v. ION Geophysical Corp., 889 F.3d 1308, 1330 (Fed. Cir. 2018). In other words, the patentee must show that the novel aspects of the claim(s) are driving sales and not aspects of the claim(s) that were known in the prior art. In re Huai-Hung Kao, 639 F.3d 1057, 1069 (Fed. Cir. 2011); WesternGeco, 889 F.3d at 1330. In cases brought pursuant to the Hatch-Waxman Act, while there are exceptions, it is most common that patent challengers’ arguments focus predominantly or entirely on an alleged lack of nexus given the substantial sales typically enjoyed by the brand-name drug products that are the subject of such litigation. Though it bears noting that the mere fact that a company is pursuing a generic version of a brand-name drug, by itself, does not support a “commercial success” finding. Galderma Labs., Inc. v. Tolmar, Inc., 737 F.3d 737, 740 (Fed. Cir. 2013).
The post Federal Circuit Treatment of ‘Commercial Success’ in Hatch-Waxman Cases appeared first on IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Patent Law.
Recent Posts
- Straight to the Prompt: IP Lawyers Must Develop AI Skills NOW
- This Week in Washington IP: Evaluating the U.S.’s Role in IP Leadership, CHIPS Act Successes and Semiconductor Production, and the White House Policy on AI
- Laser Lessons: Has the Supreme Court Undermined Pioneering Laser Patents?
- Other Barks and Bites for Friday, December 1: Senators Discuss AI and Intellectual Property; EU Report Finds 86 Million Fake Items Were Detained Last Year; USPTO Releases New China IP Rights Toolkit
- IP Goes Pop! – Lessons From Movies About Innovators