Corning Glass Works v. Sumitomo Electric USA, Inc. case brief

Corning Glass Works v. Sumitomo Electric USA, Inc. case brief summary
868 F.2d 1251 (1989)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Defendants appealed from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which found defendants liable for patent infringement.

CASE FACTS
The court found defendants liable for infringement of claims of United States Patent No. '915 and of United States Patent No. '550, all directed to the structure of optical waveguide fibers. Defendants challenged the validity of both patents and the finding of infringement of the '915 patent. Plaintiff cross-appealed from the holding that defendant did not infringe another of its patents.

DISCUSSION

• On appeal, the court affirmed the judgment. 
• The court was unpersuaded of legal or factual error in the district court's finding that the '915 claims were not anticipated by a prior art patent. 
• The '550 plan was not proven invalid under 35 U.S.C.S. § 102(b) and § 103. 
• The court was also unpersuaded of error in the district court's finding of infringement of the inventions of claims of the '915 patent, since the finding of equivalence was not clearly erroneous, and rejected the arguments on cross-appeal.

CONCLUSION
On appeal, the court affirmed the judgment. The court was unpersuaded of error in the district court's finding of infringement of the inventions, and found that the patents were valid.

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