This circuit. This glorious Federal Circuit, with its unique, specialized jurisdiction over a few niche areas of law. Typically, this circuit’s run-of-the-mill patent decisions are a bit dry.

But 2014 was different. This past year brought a whole lot of Supreme Court intervention, a scandal that led to a resignation and reprimand, and a new chief judge. In other words: juicy blog material.

Here’s what you found most interesting, judging by traffic numbers:

What was your favorite story of the year from the Federal Circuit? Tweet us @FindLawLP.

  • Patent Invalidated in 1st Opinion to Invoke Alice v. CLS Bank – The Supreme Court’s software patent decision paid immediate dividends for Google, but may end up costing them in the long run. Except not, thanks to the Rader resignation.
  • Meet New Federal Circuit Chief Judge Sharon Prost – Did we say Rader resignation? (That’ll be an ongoing theme.) Here’s his replacement, a woman with a B.S., MBA, J.D., and L.L.M. trailing her name.
  • Feds Try to Take Air Marshal Whistleblower’s Case to SCOTUS – The TSA and DHS appealed a decision in favor of a federal whistleblower to the Supreme Court. The case has since been argued, though the decision is still pending.
  • What Is a Bra? Fed. Cir. Decides in Victoria’s Secret Tariff Case – Yes, this was actually a case – with a dissent – about whether a bra-shirt-hybrid is a bra for tax purposes.
  • Nautilus v. Biosig Instruments: SCOTUS Oral Arguments Almost Here – Prepare yourself for something titillating: “the legal standard for invalidity of indefiniteness.”
  • SCOTUS Shifts Burden of Proof Back, Reverses Fed. Circuit – One party thinks that a second party is infringing their patents. Second party seeks a declaratory judgment that they are not infringing those patents. So who has the burden of proof – the party initiating the legal action or the party who is alleging infringement?
  • Basic Contract Principles of Good Faith and Fair Dealing Prevail – There are rules to this game, son: the basic rules of contract law. And nobody, not even the federal government itself, is above the law of contracts.
  • SCOTUS Vacates and Remands Case in Light of Octane Fitness – Last year, I warned you: fee-shifting was coming to patent cases one way or another. The Supreme Court took care of the issue in Octane. This was the first case to face the fallout.
  • Supreme Court Grants Cert. in Teva v. Sandoz Patent Case – Nothing to see here. Just a $3 billion generic drug patent case.
  • Judge Randall R. Rader Resigns as Chief of Federal Circuit – And we’re back to Ex-Chief Judge Randall R. Rader, who resigned after getting a little too friendly with a member of the Federal Circuit bar.

Related Resources:

  • Fed. Cir. Roundup: Patent Infringements All Around (FindLaw’s Federal Circuit Blog)
  • Fed. Cir. Upholds Internet Business Method Patent (FindLaw’s Federal Circuit Blog)
  • Post-Alice, Will Fed. Cir. Stem Tide of Software Patents? (FindLaw’s Federal Circuit Blog)

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