Patent Law

Stays Pending Appeal

By Dennis Crouch

August Technology Corp. v. Camtek (Fed. Cir. 2010) (non-precedential order)

A jury ruled that Camtek's semiconductor wafer inspection system infringed August's patent rights. The district court then issued a permanent injunction ordering the adjudged infringer to refrain from making, using, selling or offering-for-sell the infringing device. The court also ordered that Camtek not communicate with third parties located in the US for the purposes of offering to sell the device.

Along with its appeal on the merits, Camtek filed an emergency motion to stay the injunctive relief until the appeal is resolved. 

Under Federal Circuit law, the court will stay injunctive relief if either (1) the moving party shows a substantial likelihood that the injunction will be lifted as part of the merits decision; or (2) the moving party presents a strong case on the merits and the relative harms associated with the stay favor the moving party.  

Writing for the panel, Judge Lourie denied the stay — writing only that Camtek had not 'met its burden.' 

Full post as published by Patently Obvious on September 24, 2010 (boomark / email).