Belief a patent is invalid
Commil USA v. Cisco Systems
In brief
The Court ruled that believing a patent was invalid is no defense to Commil's claim, wiped out the Federal Circuit's ruling, and sent the case back.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 6-2 · May 26, 2015 · Opinion by Justice Kennedy
- What it’s about
- Commil sued Cisco, alleging it encouraged customers to use Commil’s patented wireless method without permission.
- Who it affects
- For companies accused of encouraging others to use a patented invention without permission, a good-faith belief that the patent was invalid is not a defense.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Court decided a defendant’s good-faith belief a patent was invalid is no defense to a claim that it encouraged such use; it wiped out the Federal Circuit ruling and sent the case back (vacated and remanded).
The dispute asked whether a company's belief about a patent's validity matters when it is accused of encouraging customers to use the patented method.
Question presented
Is a good-faith belief that a patent is invalid a defense to a claim of induced infringement?
What the Court decided
Holding
A defendant’s belief regarding patent validity is not a defense to an induced infringement claim. 720 F. 3d 1361, vacated and remanded.
- Result
- Vacated
The vote
From the opinions
“I disagree, however, with the Court’s holding that good-faith belief in a patent’s invalidity is not a defense to induced infringement.”
What's next
The Federal Circuit will take up the case again under the Supreme Court's ruling. The Supreme Court did not decide whether Cisco was liable for encouraging customers to use the patented method without permission.
Documents
Opinions
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Impact Analysis
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Opinion Summary
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AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Opinion added: Commil
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.