Promoting the Progress: Three Decades of Patent Jurisprudence in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

In the nearly thirty years since the Federal Circuit\u27s first published decision, the court has decided numerous cases that have produced a rich patent jurisprudence. This Article seeks to evaluate that jurisprudence from several perspectives. Part II summarizes the Federal Circuit\u27s patent history in terms of the court\u27s judges, the external factors that have shaped its patent jurisprudence, and the overall success of the court in light of Congress\u27s intent. Part III then evaluates the Federal Circuit\u27s general stance on whether to uphold the PTO\u27s grant or denial of a patent, or a district court\u27s decision to invalidate a patent, with respect to several specific patent law issues, including claim construction. Finally, Part IV analyzes the Federal Circuit\u27s relationship with the U.S. Supreme Court and examines the attention that the Court has given to patent cases throughout the Federal Circuit\u27s existence based on the number of certiorari petitions granted, as well as the Court\u27s treatment of the Federal Circuit\u27s opinions with respect to their outcomes and reasoning. In sum, this Article canvasses the Federal Circuit\u27s patent decisions from several angles to paint a comprehensive picture of the court\u27s patent jurisprudence during the first three decades of its existence