Overview
Steptoe's Jay Nuttall, who co-chairs the firm's Intellectual Property Group, is quoted in a January 3 Law360 article titled "Patent Cases to Watch in 2021."
Among the top four patent cases featured in the article is American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. v. Neapco Holdings LLC, a patent eligibility case that bitterly divided the Federal Circuit in July 2020. On December 28, Nuttall, on behalf of American Axle, petitioned the US Supreme Court to hear the case to determine what type of inventions are eligible for patenting under Section 101 of the Patent Act.
If the justices hear the case, they could use it to clarify the standard for patent eligibility, which Nuttall said would be welcome because "there is a lot of ambiguity and confusion and contradictory opinions on what the law is, even amongst the judges that are supposed to be experts in this area."
The full article can be read at Law360 (subscription required).
