Ecolab, Inc. v. Amerikem Laboratories, Inc.

98 F. Supp. 2d 569, 54 Fed. R. Serv. 835, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7280, 2000 WL 685032
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedMay 23, 2000
DocketCiv.A. 96-437(JAG), Civ.A. 90-4712(JAG)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 98 F. Supp. 2d 569 (Ecolab, Inc. v. Amerikem Laboratories, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ecolab, Inc. v. Amerikem Laboratories, Inc., 98 F. Supp. 2d 569, 54 Fed. R. Serv. 835, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7280, 2000 WL 685032 (D.N.J. 2000).

Opinion

OPINION

GREENAWAY, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on the motion of plaintiff Ecolab, Inc. (“Eco-lab”) seeking summary judgment on its claim of literal infringement. Ecolab contends that a line of products of defendant Envirochem, Inc. (“Envirochem”) infringes upon one of Ecolab’s patents. For the reasons discussed below, Ecolab’s motion is granted.

BACKGROUND

This dispute concerns uniform solid dishwashing detergent casts for use in commercial dishwashing machines. Eco-lab patented the detergent and a method for making it under U.S.Patent No. RE 32,818 (the “ ’818 patent”). Ecolab contends that a line of dishwashing products manufactured by Envirochem infringes Claim 1 of the ’818 patent.

Claim 1 covers:

1. A detergent-containing article of commerce comprising:
(a) a three-dimensional, solid, cast, hydrated, substantially uniform alkaline detergent for ware and hard surface washing comprising:
(1) at least about 30% by weight of an alkaline hydratable chemical consisting essentially of alkali metal hydroxide;
(2) an effective amount of a hardness-sequestering agent;
(3) water of hydration, at least a portion of said water of hydration being associated with said alkali metal hydroxide, wherein the alkali metal hydroxide and the hardness *571 sequestering agent are present in an amount sufficient to render the cast detergent a solid at room temperature by virtue of the water of hydration; and
(b) a receptacle-shaped disposable container surrounding and in contact with said solid, cast, hydrated alkaline detergent composition on all but one surface thereof.

’818 Patent, col. 27, lines 40-60.

In an Opinion dated January 8,1999 (the “1999 Opinion”), this Court construed the term “substantially uniform” in claim 1 of the ’818 patent and denied Envirochem’s motion for summary judgment on nonin-fringement grounds. 1 This Court construed the term to mean “a level of continuity of the elements from top-to-bottom throughout the cast such that a homogenous cleaning solution is formed over the life of the cast.” 1999 Opinion at 16. 2 In light of that claim construction, Ecolab now seeks a finding that eight of Enviro-chem’s current solid, cast detergent products literally infringe that properly construed claim. 3

Envirochem contends that its products are nonuniform detergents with chemical cleaning components stratified or segregated throughout the cast. Envirochem received U.S.Patent No. 5,482,641 (the “ ’641 patent”) on a method for producing stratified solid cast detergents. Enviro-chem argues that the evidence before this Court indicates that its products are nonuniform, noninfringing detergents. This evidence, in Envirochem’s view, should preclude the grant of summary judgment.

DISCUSSION

I. Standard for Summary Judgment

Summary judgment is appropriate under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c) when the moving party demonstrates that there is no genuine issue of material fact and the evidence establishes the moving party’s entitlement to judgment as a matter of law. See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Orson, Inc. v. Miramax Film Corp., 79 F.3d 1358, 1366 (3d Cir.1996). In making this determination, the Court must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-movant. See Hullett v. Towers, Perrin, Forster & Crosby, Inc., 38 F.3d 107, 111 (3d Cir.1994); National State Bank v. Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 979 F.2d 1579, 1581 (3d Cir.1992).

Once the moving party has satisfied its initial burden, the party opposing the motion must establish that a genuine issue as to a material fact exists. See Jersey Cent. Power & Light Co. v. Lacey Township, 112

*572 F.2d 1103, 1109 (3d Cir.1985). The party opposing the motion for summary judgment cannot rest on mere allegations and instead must present actual evidence that creates a genuine issue as to a material fact for trial. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Siegel Transfer, Inc. v. Carrier Express, Inc., 54 F.3d 1125, 1130-31 (3d Cir.1995). “Unsupported allegations in [a] memorandum and pleadings are insufficient to repel summary judgment.” Schoch v. First Fidelity Bancorporation, 912 F.2d 654, 657 (3d Cir.1990); see also Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e) (requiring non-moving party to “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial”). “There can be ‘no genuine issue as to any material fact’ where the nonmoving party’s proof is deficient in meeting an essential part of the applicable legal standard, since such failure renders all other facts immaterial.” London v. Carson Pirie Scott & Co., 946 F.2d 1534, 1537-38 (Fed.Cir.1991) (quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548). In determining whether there are any issues of material fact, the court must resolve all doubts as to the existence of a material fact against the moving party and draw all reasonable inferences — -including on issues of credibility — in favor of the non-moving party. See Watts v. University of Delaware, 622 F.2d 47, 50 (3d Cir.1980).

II. Literal Infringement

“To establish literal infringement, every limitation set forth in a claim must be found in an accused product, exactly.” Southwall Techs., Inc. v. Cardinal IG Co., 54 F.3d 1570, 1575 (Fed.Cir.1995). An infringement analysis involves two stages. The first step — claim construction — is a question of law. Vitronics Corp. v.

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98 F. Supp. 2d 569, 54 Fed. R. Serv. 835, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7280, 2000 WL 685032, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ecolab-inc-v-amerikem-laboratories-inc-njd-2000.