Shengzhen Triangle Science & Technology Industrial Co., Ltd. and Ma Xiguang v. Compaq Computer Corp. of the United States
Beijing Higher People’s Court
(2002)
- Written by Eric Miller, JD
Facts
Shengzhen Triangle Science & Technology Industrial Company, Ltd. (Shengzhen) (plaintiff) and Ma Xiguang (plaintiff) held a utility-model patent on a notebook computer. The computer’s design included two seat grooves into which replaceable battery packs and expansion boards—i.e., expansion cards, which increase a computer’s capabilities—could be inserted. Shengzhen and Xiguang brought an infringement action against Compaq Computer Corporation of the United States (Compaq) (defendant), alleging that a Compaq notebook computer sold in China used the same design. The left seat groove of the Compaq computer included space for a battery pack as well as a disc drive. In a hearing before the patent-reexamination board, Shengzhen and Xiguang stated that, with respect to the seat grooves and expansion boards, the word “replaceable” meant interchangeable. The reexamination board affirmed the validity of the patent. The case then proceeded to the Beijing Higher People’s Court to determine the infringement issue. [Editor’s Note: Chinese patent cases follow a bifurcated model, requiring a separate determination of validity before a ruling on infringement.]
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Lumin, Jixiang, Hui, J.J.)
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