Intellectual Property Law

D. Del. Special Master: Protective-Order Compromise Settles Threat of Later Disclosure During Reexam and Other Proceedings

By Karen E. Keller, Andrew A. Lundgren et al.

Negotiating protective orders can be a mundane affair. But the D. Del. litigator may want to take notice of an attorneys-eyes-only provision recently fashioned by a special master appointed by distict judge Sue L. Robinson. In his report and recommendation, the special master adopted the following passage to address the parties' concerns over handling the use of confidential information during the course of both reexamination and separate prosecutions:

"No attorney or other individual who has access to the other parties' [confidential information] . . . shall be involved thereafter in the prosecution or drafting of patent applications, claim language for patent applications, or arguments made in support of patent applications, excluding a patent in reexamination [involving an] . . . opposing party in this case, before the [PTO or foreign agencies], and proceedings related to [the patent-in-suit] . . . . [A]ny individual's participation in reexamination proceedings(s) also is expressly conditioned on his/her/its legal obligation, established by Order of the Court, not to use in any way an opposing party's [confidential information] to draft new claims, or to amend previously existing claims, through the reexamination process. The above conditions and exclusions continue for a period of one year following the final resolution [of the case]."

Apeldyn Corp. v. AU Optronics Corp., C.A. No. 08-568-SLR (D. Del. March 1, 2010) (Poppiti. S.M.).

Full post as published by Delaware IP Law Blog on March 07, 2010 (boomark / email).