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Symbol Technologies, Inc. v. Lemelson Medical, Education & Research Foundation, LP

277 F.3d 1361, 61 U.S.P.Q.2d 1515 (2002)

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Symbol Technologies, Inc. v. Lemelson Medical, Education & Research Foundation, LP

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
277 F.3d 1361, 61 U.S.P.Q.2d 1515 (2002)

Facts

Lemelson Medical, Education & Research Foundation (Lemelson) (defendant) held 185 unexpired patents and pending divisional and continuation patent applications that were allegedly entitled to the filing dates of two original applications from the 1950s. Lemelson sent letters to customers of Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Symbol) (plaintiff) and Cognex Corporation (plaintiff) warning them of patent infringement by Symbol and Cognex. Symbol and Cognex brought an action for a declaratory judgment that several of Lemelson’s patents were invalid, unenforceable, and not infringed. Symbol and Cognex asserted a laches claim—i.e., that Lemelson had lost the right to damages for infringement due to excessive delay in taking legal action. The district court dismissed the laches claim, among other complaints by Symbol and Cognex. Symbol and Cognex appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Mayer, C.J.)

Dissent (Newman, J.)

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