Study Aids
Case Briefs Overview
Casebooks
Case Briefs
R

Republic Industries, Inc. v. Schlage Lock Co.

592 F.2d 963, 200 U.S.P.Q 769 (1979)

From our private database of 46,500+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

Republic Industries, Inc. v. Schlage Lock Co.

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
592 F.2d 963, 200 U.S.P.Q 769 (1979)

Facts

Republic Industries, Inc. (Republic) (plaintiff) held a patent on a device used to hold open or close emergency-exit doors in hospitals, healthcare facilities, and other buildings. The patent was very similar to an existing patent but was potentially distinguished by the presence of a momentary manual release made possible by dual release valves. Republic brought an infringement action against Schlage Lock Co. (defendant), which argued that the device was a combination of known inventions with no synergistic effect. It was revealed that other patents not disclosed by Republic had already claimed the manual-release technology. The federal district court held that the patent was invalid on the ground of obviousness. Republic appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Swygert, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 832,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

    Unlock this case briefRead our student testimonials

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

    Learn about our approachRead more about Quimbee

Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,500 briefs - keyed to 994 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership

Casebooks

Patent

Key Terms