Backyard Nature Products, Inc. v. Woodlink, Ltd.

Backyard Nature Products, Inc. (“Backyard”), appeals the decision of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin granting Woodlink Ltd.’s (‘Woodlink’s”) motions for summary judgment of non-infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,927,231 and 6,095,087 (“the ’231 patent” and “the ’087 patent,” respectively). Woodlink cross-appeals the district court’s denial of summary judgment as to the invalidity of the ’231 patent in light of U.S. Patent No. 5,269,255 issued to Finn. Because the district court properly construed the patent claims and correctly found no genuine issues of material fact on the question of infringement, and because the district court did not abuse its discretion in dismissing Woodlink’s invalidity arguments as moot, we affirm,.

I. Background

Backyard sued Woodlink for infringement of the ’231 and ’087 patents. As to each patent, Woodlink filed a motion for summary judgment of non-infringement.

In granting the motion for summary judgment of non-infringement of the ’231 patent, the district court first construed the patent claims and then compared them to the accused devices. Asserted independent claim 1 reads, with the disputed claim term…