A Patent Infringement Investigation At The International Trade Commission

Abstract

A Communications Satellite Manufacturer Requested That The International Trade Commission Grant It Relief From The Unlawful Importation And Sale Of Certain Microwave Equipment, Claiming Infringement Of Its Sights Under A Valid And Enforceable United States Patent. The Foreign Equipment Manufacturer Owned Another, Later Issued, Patent And Believed That Equipment In Accordance With That Patent Did Not Infringe The Earlier Patent. At Stake Was A Market Worth Many Millions Of Dollars Annually. The Two Inventors And Two Outside Experts Were All Used As Both Expert And Fact Witnesses In This Very Complicated Case, In Which The Issues Of Patent Validity And Infringement Were Disputed.