Go Medical Industries Pty., Ltd. v. Inmed Corporation

471 F.3d 1264, 80 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1629, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 26797
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
DecidedOctober 27, 2006
Docket05-1241
StatusPublished

This text of 471 F.3d 1264 (Go Medical Industries Pty., Ltd. v. Inmed Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Go Medical Industries Pty., Ltd. v. Inmed Corporation, 471 F.3d 1264, 80 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1629, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 26797 (Fed. Cir. 2006).

Opinion

471 F.3d 1264

GO MEDICAL INDUSTRIES PTY., LTD. and Alexander G.B. O'Neil, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
INMED CORPORATION (doing business as Rüsch), Defendant-Cross Appellant, and
Alpine Medical, Inc. (formerly known as Medical Marketing Group, Inc.), Defendant-Cross Appellant.

No. 05-1241.

No. 05-1267.

No. 05-1588.

United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit.

October 27, 2006.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED Patrick J. Flinn, Alston & Bird, LLP, of Atlanta, GA, argued for plaintiffs-appellants. With him on the brief were Robin L. McGrath, Angela Payne James and Andrew J. Wilson.

William K. West, Jr., Howrey LLP, of Washington, DC, argued for defendant-cross appellant Inmed Corporation. Of counsel on the brief were Juliana M. Cofrancesco, Susan M. Kayser and Jim W. Ko.

Ron L. Quigley, Davis, Matthews & Quigley, P.C., of Atlanta, GA, argued for defendant-cross appellant Alpine Medical, Inc. Of counsel was Charles E. Campbell, McKenna Long & Aldridge, LLP, of Atlanta, GA.

Before MICHEL, Chief Judge, ARCHER, Senior Circuit Judge, and LINN, Circuit Judge.

MICHEL, Chief Judge.

Go Medical Industries, Pty., Ltd. and Dr. Alexander G.B. O'Neil (collectively "Go") appeal from a final judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Go challenges orders (1) granting its motion for summary judgment of patent infringement but finding, inter alia, that the asserted claims were invalid as anticipated because Go was not entitled to claim the priority date of an earlier application, Go Medical Indus. Pty., Ltd. v. Inmed Corp., No. 01-CV-313 (N.D.Ga. July 9, 2003) ("SJ Order"); (2) denying its motion for prejudgment interest, Go Medical Indus. Pty., Ltd. v. Inmed Corp., No. 01-CV-313 (N.D.Ga. Sept.30, 2004) ("Prejudgment Interest Order"); and (3) reducing the jury's award of damages on Go's claims for trademark infringement and breach of contract upon granting judgment as a matter of law ("JMOL"), Go Medical Indus. Pty., Ltd. v. Inmed Corp., No. 01-CV-313 (N.D.Ga. Jan.25, 2005) ("First JMOL Order"). Specifically, Go argues that (1) the district court erred in granting summary judgment on the patent claim because there were factual disputes as to whether the earlier patent application met the requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 112; (2) prejudgment interest should have been awarded because the contract damages were liquidated; and (3) the damages award should not have been reduced.

Inmed Corporation, doing business as Rüsch, International ("Rüsch"), and Alpine Medical, Inc., formerly known as Medical Marketing Group, Inc. ("MMG"), separately cross-appeal. Rüsch contends that the district court erred in entering a permanent injunction, Go Medical Indus. Pty., Ltd. v. Inmed Corp., No. 01-CV-313 (N.D.Ga. Sept.30, 2004) ("Injunction Order"), because Go had no trademark rights in the surname "O'Neil." MMG, on the other hand, asserts that (1) public policy bars Go's claims; (2) the district court erred in denying its second motion for JMOL requesting elimination of all the contract damages, Go Medical Indus. Pty., Ltd. v. Inmed Corp., No. 01-CV-313 (N.D.Ga. Aug.5, 2005) ("Second JMOL Order"); and (3) there can be no implied trademark license of a surname that has not achieved secondary meaning.

As described in further detail below, we conclude that the district court misapplied the doctrine first set forth by Lear, Inc. v. Adkins, 395 U.S. 653, 89 S.Ct. 1902, 23 L.Ed.2d 610 (1969), in reducing the damages for MMG's breach of contract. On all other issues, however, we find no reversible error. We thus affirm-in-part, vacate-in-part, and remand for a recalculation of damages.

I. BACKGROUND

Urinary catheters typically increase the risk of urinary tract infections because inserting a catheter can push bacteria into the normally sterile bladder. Most of the bacteria are concentrated in the first 1.5 cm to 2 cm of the urethra, due to a natural pressure barrier located about 1.5 cm from the outer end.

Dr. O'Neil invented a catheter with a sheath that does not extend beyond this pressure barrier—thus reducing the likelihood of contamination caused by the sheath itself—and obtained United States Patent No. 4,652,259 ("the '259 patent") in 1987. The '259 patent was issued from a 1985 continuation-in-part application that claimed the priority date of an application filed on September 12, 1979.1 The claims of the '259 patent recite the use of a stop member to limit the insertion of the sheath to either "about 1.5 cm" or moving the sheath along the urethra such that the distal end is in a "known position of maximum pressure," but not beyond that position.

Go Medical Industries, Pty., Ltd., founded by Dr. O'Neil in 1982, is an Australian limited liability company that manufactures and markets the type of urinary catheters described in the '259 patent. Go's products were initially distributed in the United States by Penine Healthcare, a medical manufacturing and supply company based in the United Kingdom.

In 1988, Go and MMG entered into a 99-year contract that gave MMG the exclusive right to distribute such catheters within the United States. The agreement provided that Go and MMG would share the net profits equally. At first, MMG purchased products from Go, but, for various reasons, soon started manufacturing catheters itself and selling them as "MMG/O'Neil" catheters. MMG registered the "MMG/O'Neil" trademark on January 12, 1993.

Starting in 1991, MMG began paying Go 7% of gross sales on the "MMG/O'Neil" catheters in lieu of 50% of net profits, although it was later revealed that this amount was not equivalent. In 1997, the 1988 agreement was amended. Significantly, the parties agreed that 7% of the gross sales "represent[ed] Go Medical USA's 50% net profit share." The term of the contract was also reduced from 99 years to the life of the '259 patent. Finally, the 1997 amendment explicitly provided that the parties would share any intellectual property enforcement costs. Both the 1988 agreement and the 1997 amendment were silent on whether MMG was also licensing the right to use the "O'Neil" name on its catheters.

In 1992, MMG urged Go to sue when C.R. Bard entered the market with a competing catheter. Go alleges that MMG refused to share in the costs of litigation, despite their contractual obligation to do so. In March 1999, the district court granted summary judgment in favor of C.R. Bard, finding the '259 patent unenforceable due to inequitable conduct and invalid as anticipated.2 On August 1, 2000, this court reversed and remanded for further proceedings. Go Medical Indus. Pty., Ltd. v. C.R. Bard, Inc., 250 F.3d 763, 2000 WL 1056063 (Fed.Cir.2000) (unpublished table decision). That case settled shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, in a letter dated June 21, 1999, MMG notified Go that it believed they "no longer ha[d] a contract" since the district court had found the '259 patent invalid.

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471 F.3d 1264, 80 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1629, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 26797, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/go-medical-industries-pty-ltd-v-inmed-corporation-cafc-2006.