T.J. Smith and Nephew Ltd. v. Consolidated Medical Equipment, Inc.
| Decision Date | 25 June 1987 |
| Docket Number | No. 87-1081,87-1081 |
| Citation | 3 USPQ2d 1316,821 F.2d 646 |
| Parties | T.J. SMITH AND NEPHEW LIMITED, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. CONSOLIDATED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, INC. and Avery International Corporation, Defendants-Appellees. |
| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals — Federal Circuit |
Albert L. Jacobs, Jr., Jacobs & Jacobs, P.C., New York City, argued for plaintiff-appellant. With him on the brief were Mark H. Sparrow and Stephen M. Haracz.
Charles B. Gordon, Pearne, Gordon, McCoy & Granger, Cleveland, Ohio, argued for defendants-appellees. With him on the brief was Stephen A. Hill.
Before MARKEY, Chief Judge, FRIEDMAN, Circuit Judge, and BENNETT, Senior Circuit Judge.
Appeal from denial by the District Court for the Northern District of New York of a preliminary injunction in suit filed by T.J. Smith and Nephew Limited (Nephew) against Consolidated Medical Equipment, Inc., and Avery International Corporation (Con Med) for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 3,645,835 and its reissue, No. RE 31,887, entitled "Moisture-Vapor-Permeable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Materials," 645 F.Supp. 206. We affirm.
After two days of hearings, during which the testimony of Nephew's single witness was almost totally limited to infringement, Judge McCurn issued a comprehensive and carefully considered Memorandum Decision and Order announcing and thoroughly supporting his determination that:
1. Nephew did not establish a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits.
2. Nephew made no demonstration of irreparable harm.
3. Because of (1) and (2) it is unnecessary to discuss a balance of hardships or the public interest.
Whether Judge McCurn abused his discretion, erred in law, or seriously misjudged the evidence, in denying the preliminary injunction sought by Nephew.
OPINIONThe scope of review of a denial of an injunction is narrow. "By its terms, 35 U.S.C. Sec. 283 'clearly makes the issuance of an injunction discretionary.' " Datascope Corp. v. Kontron Inc., 786 F.2d 398, 399, 229 USPQ 41, 42 (Fed.Cir.1986) (quoting Roche Prod. v. Bolar Pharmaceutical Co. 733 F.2d 858, 865, 221 USPQ 937, 942 (Fed.Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 856, 105 S.Ct. 183, 83 L.Ed.2d 117 (1984)). "One denied a preliminary injunction must meet the heavy burden of showing that the district court abused its discretion, committed an error of law, or seriously misjudged the evidence." Smith Int'l, Inc. v. Hughes Tool Co., 718 F.2d 1573, 1579, 219 USPQ 686, 691 (Fed.Cir.), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 996, 104 S.Ct. 493, 78 L.Ed.2d 687 (1983); Eli Lilly & Co. v. Premo Pharmaceutical Laboratories, 630 F.2d 120, 136, 207 USPQ 719, 734-35 (3rd Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1014, 101 S.Ct. 573, 66 L.Ed.2d 473 (1980).
To obtain a preliminary injunction in a patent infringement action pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Sec. 283, a party must establish a right thereto in light of four factors: (a) reasonable likelihood of success on the merits; (b) irreparable harm; (c) a balance of hardships tipping in its favor; and (d) that the issuance of the injunction is in the public interest. Datascope, 786 F.2d at 400, 229 USPQ at 42; Roper Corp. v. Litton Sys., Inc., 757 F.2d 1266, 1269, 225 USPQ 345, 346 (Fed.Cir.1985). Here, Judge McCurn cited each of the foregoing factors, and found that Nephew established none.
The district court said:
The court therefore concludes that, while the plaintiff has taken some significant steps toward proving its ultimate case on the merits, it has not met its burden of showing a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits on all of the questions before the court.
Among the questions on which the court held Nephew had not met its burden was infringement, particularly in relation to the "unreinforced backing material" claim limitation:
However, there are too many unanswered questions regarding the reinforcement or lack of reinforcement of the backing material for the court to conclude that the plaintiff has met its burden as to this element.
Arguing that the district court erred as a matter of law in interpreting "unreinforced", and that it seriously misjudged the evidence, Nephew sets out its own view of the evidence and requests this court to answer in its favor the district court's unanswered question. We can find no basis for Nephew's assertion of legal error and misjudged evidence. On the contrary, we find that Nephew misjudges the role of this court on reviewing a denial of a preliminary injunction, as evidenced by Nephew's election to simply ignore what this court said in Roper:
Roper's request that this court make a finding of infringement the district court expressly reserved is wholly inappropriate. Roper misconstrues the appellate function of this court and the decisional criteria in considering motions for preliminary injunctions. Substantive issues, such as validity and infringement, are not raised for final resolution by such motions.
757 F.2d at 1271, 225 USPQ at 348 (emphasis in original). 1
The district court said:
Moreover, even if the court were to assume that the plaintiff has established a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, the injunction sought could not be granted, because there has been no demonstration of irreparable harm.
Nephew put in no evidence on irreparable harm, but says it made such a "strong showing" of validity and infringement that it is entitled to a presumption of irreparable harm. 2 Nephew's argument is refuted by the record: (1) As above indicated, it did not show likelihood of success in respect of infringement; (2) the presumption of validity on which it rests is procedural, not substantive, Stratoflex, Inc. v. Aeroquip Corp., 713 F.2d 1530, 1534, 218 USPQ 871, 875 (Fed.Cir.1983), and is not "strengthened" by reissue, Fromson v. Advance Offset Plate, Inc., 755 F.2d 1549, 1555, 225 USPQ 26, 31 (Fed.Cir.1985); (3) the district court held only that it "cannot conclude at this time that it has been clearly and convincingly shown that the '887 reissue patent is invalid"; (4) internal memos of corporate executives regarding validity, upon which Nephew relies, do not "prove" validity; (5) Nephew waited 15 months before seeking a preliminary injunction; (6) Nephew had long licensed its patent to two licensees.
There is no basis in this record for application of a presumption of irreparable harm, and if there were, that presumption being like all presumptions rebuttable, it would have been rebutted here by Nephew's delay in seeking an injunction and by its grant of licenses, acts incompatible with the emphasis on the right to exclude...
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