Patent litigation in the United States: overview

By Maria Luisa Palmese

US patent laws stem from the patent clause in the US Constitution, which provides that Congress has the power "to promote the progress of … useful arts, by securing for limited times to … inventors the exclusive right to their … discoveries". Therefore, patents are exclusively governed by federal law and state law has little or no role in patent litigation, except, for example, where the issue is one of contract or ownership. The principal source of federal law governing patents is Title 35 of the US Code.The US has a common law system that relies on judicial precedent. Therefore, federal court decisions also play a vital role in US patent law and litigation, by interpreting the Constitution and federal statutes, and in some cases, creating law themselves. For example, the "doctrine of equivalents", which was first adopted by the US Supreme Court, has no independent statutory basis. Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over patent infringement cases, and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence apply in these proceedings. In addition, many district courts have instituted local rules specific to patent litigation.To continue reading: Follow this link to the article