No. 18-277

Urvashi Bhagat v. Andrei Iancu, Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office

Lower Court: Federal Circuit
Docketed: 2018-09-04
Status: Rehearing
Type: Paid
Amici (2)Response WaivedRelisted (2)
Tags: ' '35-usc-101" ' 'administrative-procedure-act' ' 'funk-brothers" ' 'myriad-genetics" ' 'patent-eligibility" ' 'patent-system" 35-usc-101 administrative-procedure-act Funk-Brothers Myriad patent-eligibility USPTO
Key Terms:
Patent
Latest Conference: 2019-10-11 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Federal Circuit erred in finding petitioner's patent application claims unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 101 due to conflicting standards of patent-eligibility under Funk Brothers Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co. and Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc.

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED This petition presents a conflict between the incentive to invent, as the Constitution provides for, and the breadth of patent-eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101. It has become difficult to recognize the line between patentable subject matter and non-patentable products of nature. This Court has made conflicting statements regarding that line. In the case at hand, petitioner, a solo inventor, has invented new and useful lipid compositions that can improve the health of millions of Americans who suffer from chronic illness. Yet she is being denied a patent that would support her in bringing these beneficial inventions to market. This frustrates the purpose of the U.S. patent system. This petition further presents the issue of holding the federal courts accountable in properly reviewing agency decisions. The Questions Presented are: 1. a. Whether the Federal Circuit erred in finding petitioner’s patent application claims unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because the court failed to apply the correct patent-eligibility standard under this Court’s conflicting holdings in Funk Brothers Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co., 333 U.S. 127 (1948) and Ass’n for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., 569 U.S. 576 (2018). b. Whether the Federal Circuit erred in finding petitioner’s patent application claims unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because the court did not apply the patent-eligibility standard set forth in Myriad. ii 2. Whether the Federal Circuit erred in affirming the USPTO’s decisions under 35 U.S.C. §§ 101 and 102(b) because it failed to apply “meaningful review” to that decision, as required by the Administrative Procedure Act.

Docket Entries

2019-10-15
Motion for leave to file a petition for rehearing filed by petitioner DENIED.
2019-10-01
Supplemental brief of petitioner Urvashi Bhagat filed. (Distributed)
2019-09-18
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/11/2019.
2019-07-11
Motion for leave to file a petition for rehearing filed by petitioner.
2018-10-29
Motion for leave to file amici brief filed by Independent Inventors, et al. DENIED.
2018-10-29
Petition DENIED.
2018-10-22
Supplemental brief of petitioner Urvashi Bhagat filed. (Distributed)
2018-10-05
Motion for leave to file amici curiae brief out of time filed by Independent Inventors, et al. (Distributed)
2018-10-03
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/26/2018.
2018-09-28
Waiver of right of respondent Iancu, Andrei to respond filed.
2018-08-29
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 4, 2018)

Attorneys

Iancu, Andrei
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent
Urvashi Bhagat
Burman York Mathis Jr.Law Offices of Burman Y Mathis, Petitioner
Burman York Mathis Jr.Law Offices of Burman Y Mathis, Petitioner