Abstract
A jury verdict finding an independent claim valid but a related dependent claim either anticipated or obvious is irreconcilable. However, the Federal Circuit has used the inconsistencies between regional circuits on the issue of jury verdicts to reach different outcomes in similar cases based solely on the region in which the patent case originated. This note advocates a modification to the Federal Circuit's rule of deference to consider irreconcilable verdicts of independent and dependent claims under its own independent analysis. A consistent approach allowing for appellate review regardless of post-verdict motions is advocated, although a more modest position of requiring a post-verdict motion regardless of circuit rules would promote many of the goals.
Recommended Citation
Patrick Bickley,
Dependent on the Jury: Anticipation and Obviousness of Dependent Patent Claims and Irreconcilable Jury Verdicts,
86
Chi.-Kent L. Rev.
419
(2011).
Available at:
https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/cklawreview/vol86/iss1/17
