Inline Plastics Corp.. v. Easypak, LLC, No. 14-1305 (Fed. Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CaseInline’s patented products are plastic food containers with tamper-evident and tamper-resistant features. The containers have a hinged plastic bridge between the top and bottom portions of the container, the bridge having a frangible section that must be severed in order to open the container, so that tampering or opening of the container is readily evident. Inline sued EasyPak for infringement. Following claim construction, Inline moved for entry of final judgment of non-infringement of its 003 patent, on the premise that the claims as construed are not infringed and granted EasyPak a covenant not to sue on the 680 patent. The district court then entered final judgment of non-infringement of the 003 patent, dismissed without prejudice EasyPak’s declaratory judgment counterclaims for invalidity, and dismissed Inline’s count for infringement of the 680 patent with prejudice. The Federal Circuit vacated, holding that the terms “frangible section” and “tamper evident bridge” were incorrectly construed with respect to the 003 patent. The district court erred in limiting the claims to a specific embodiment, for the invention as claimed is supported by the patent’s broader disclosure.
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