On June 22, 2017, ALJ MaryJoan McNamara issued a notice of the Initial Determination in Certain Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) Products and Components Thereof (Inv. No. 337-TA-979).

By way of background, this investigation is based on a December 4, 2015 complaint filed by Neology, Inc. (“Neology”) of Poway, California alleging violation of Section 337 in the importation into the U.S. and sale of certain RFID products and components thereof that infringe one or more claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,325,044; 8,587,436; and 7,119,664. See our December 4, 2015 and January 7, 2016 posts for more details on the complaint and Notice of Investigation, respectively.

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On June 14, 2017, the International Trade Commission (“the Commission”) issued the public version of its opinion in Certain Carbon Spine Board, Cervical Collar and Various Medical Training Manikin Devices, and Trademarks, Copyrights of Product Catalogues, Product Inserts and Components Thereof (Inv. No. 337-TA-1008).

By way of background, this investigation is based on a March 21, 2016 complaint filed by Laerdal Medical Corp. and Laerdal Medical AS (collectively, “Complainants”) alleging violation of Section 337 by way of unlawful importation into the U.S., selling for importation, and/or selling within the U.S. after importation of certain carbon spine board, cervical collar, and various medical training manikin devices, and accompanying product catalogs, product inserts, literature, and components thereof that infringe one or more claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,090,058 (“the ’058 patent”) and 6,170,486 (“the ’486 patent”) and/or certain copyrights, trade dress rights, and trademarks. However, the investigation was instituted with respect to only claim 1 of the ’058 patent and certain copyrights, mark, and trade dresses. See our March 21, 2016 and June 29, 2016 posts for more details on the complaint and Notice of Investigation, respectively. On November 21, 2016, the ALJ issued an initial determination (“ID”) finding all respondents in default for failing to respond to the complaint and Notice of Investigation. The Commission declined to review the default ID and, assuming all factual allegations against the defaulted respondents as true, considered whether there was a Section 337 violation and the appropriate remedy. Complainants sought (and the Office of Unfair Import Investigations supported) a limited exclusion order against all respondents and a cease and desist order against one domestic defaulting respondent.

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On June 13, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued its nonprecedential opinion in Garmin Int’l., Inc. v. ITC (2016-1572). This was an appeal from the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (“the Commission”) final determination finding, inter alia, that Garmin International, Inc., Garmin USA, Inc., and Garmin Corp. (collectively, “Garmin”) infringe certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,305,840 (the ’840 patent) and 8,605,550 (the ’550 patent) and that such claims are not invalid. The underlying investigation is Certain Marine Sonar Imaging Devices, Including Downscan and Sidescan Devices, Products Containing the Same, and Components Thereof (Inv. No. 337-TA-921). See our July 11, 2014 post for more details on the underlying investigation.

By way of background, the underlying investigation is based on a June 9, 2014 complaint filed by Navico, Inc. and Navico Holding AS (collectively, “Navico”) alleging violation of Section 337 in the importation into the U.S. and sale of certain marine sonar imaging devices that allegedly infringe one or more claims of the ’840 patent, the ’550 patent, and U.S. Patent No. 8,300,499. On December 1, 2015, the Commission issued its final determination finding that Garmin’s DownVü products infringe certain claims of the ’840 and ’550 patents. The Commission further found that many of the asserted claims of the ’840 and ’550 patents are not invalid as obvious over a 1960 article by Tucker entitled “Narrow-beam echo-ranger for fishery and geological investigations” (“Tucker”) and U.S. Patent No. 7,652,952 to Betts (“Betts”).

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On June 12, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued its precedential opinion in One-E-Way, Inc. v. ITC (2016-2105). This was an appeal from the International Trade Commission’s (“the Commission”) determination finding no violation of Section 337 in Certain Wireless Headsets (Inv. No. 337-TA-943).

By way of background, this investigation is based on a December 8, 2014 complaint filed by One-E-Way, Inc. (“OEW”) alleging violation of Section 337 in the importation into the U.S. and sale of certain wireless headsets that infringe one or more claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 7,865,258 and 8,131,391. See our January 8, 2015 and January 14, 2015 posts for more details on the complaint and notice of investigation, respectively.

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