In 2016, Courtland Merrill and Dan Hall, represented the firm’s client, Johnstech International Corp. in a five-day patent infringement trial in the Northern District of California. Johnstech claimed that competitor, JF Microtechnology, infringed on its patent related to a device used to test computer chips – a critical Johnstech product. The jury agreed.
Rejecting the competitor’s argument that the patent was invalid, the jury found that the infringement was willful, and awarded Johnstech damages. Later, the judge awarded Johnstech over $1.5 million in damages and issued a permanent injunction preventing the competitor’s further infringement.
The competitor appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit in Washington, DC. The Federal Circuit summarily affirmed the jury’s verdict on July 15, 2019 – just five days after oral argument.
Law360 coverage of the case (subscription required to view the full article).