United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1776 & Participating Emp'rs Health & Welfare Fund v. Teikoku Pharma United States

Good Law

296 F. Supp. 3d 1142

United States District Court, Northern District of CaliforniaNovember 3, 2017Case No. 14–md–02521–WHOCalifornia21,039 words

Opinion

lead Opinion

Unenforceability

Plaintiffs also argue, again relying heavily on Adelman, that Watson was likely to prevail at trial and on appeal because the '529 patent was unenforceable as a result of Teikoku's inequitable conduct. Adelman Report ¶¶ 82-92. 16 The inequitable conduct at issue is whether Teikoku and the '529 inventor (Ono) affirmatively misled the PTO by failing to disclose specific "Teikoku Hydrogel" prior art references. Adelman Report ¶¶ 83-88.

Defendants assert that this defense rises and falls to the same extent as the obviousness defense above, as both rely on the Teikoku Hydrogel prior art. As to intent to *1160 deceive, defendants point to Judge Sleet's questions and comments in closing, attempting to distinguish where intent lies when an inventor simply signs whatever disclosures are given to him without review (as Ono testified), and Judge Sleet's comments that he found Ono credible and believed him. Closing Argument Tr. at 45, 108-09. Plaintiffs respond that Judge Sleet's inclinations cannot be deciphered solely from the comments identified by defendants and point out that Judge Sleet also referred to the importance of full disclosure to the PTO from a factual and…

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Parties

UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS LOCAL 1776 & PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS HEALTH AND WELFARE FUND
Plaintiff
TEIKOKU PHARMA USA
Defendant

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