Johnson & Johnston Associates Inc. v. R.E. Service Co., Inc. case brief

Johnson & Johnston Associates Inc. v. R.E. Service Co., Inc. case brief summary
285 F.3d 1046 (2002)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Appellee company filed an infringement suit. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted partial summary judgment to appellants, the infringers. The jury awarded the company damages. The district court enhanced the damages and awarded attorney fees and expenses. The infringers appealed.

CASE FACTS
The company was granted a patent relating to the manufacture of printed circuit boards. This patent was the subject of much litigation between the company and the manufacturers. In prior litigation, the manufacturers were found to have willfully infringed the patent. In the instant case, a jury found that the manufacturers had willfully infringed the patent under the doctrine of equivalents.


DISCUSSION

• The court of appeals held that: 
• (1) to the extent that YBM Magnex, Inc. v. Int'l Trade Comm'n, 145 F.3d 1317 (Fed. Cir. 1998), conflicted with the court of appeals' holding, YMB Magnex was overruled; and 
• (2) the district court erred as a matter of law in concluding that the manufacturers infringed the patent under the doctrine of equivalents by using a steel substrate.

CONCLUSION
The judgment was reversed.

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