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Stephanie Scruggs is an experienced intellectual property attorney primarily focused on complicated patent disputes. Stephanie defends and enforces the IP rights of both U.S. and foreign-based clients in a wide range of industries, including the chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, electrical and mechanical fields.

M.S., Chemical Engineering

Patent Registration Number: 54,432

Last week, the Federal Circuit issued another precedential decision on inventorship.  However, unlike in HIP, Inc. v. Hormel Foods Corporation (22-1696) where the appellate panel found the purported inventor’s contribution to be “insignificant in quality . . . [when] measured against dimension of the full invention,” the panel in Blue Gentian, LLC v. Tristar Products,

Last week, the Federal Circuit issued a precedential decision affirming a Southern District of Texas denial of FMC Technologies, Inc.’s attorneys’ fees motion. The panel here (comprised of Moore, Clevenger, and Dyk) seems almost as disdainful of FMC’s arguments for exceptionality as a completely different panel did when it affirmed the denial of Pure Hemp’s

The Federal Circuit passed on Pure Hemp’s ask for attorney fees and sanctions in United Cannabis, Corp. v. Pure Hemp Collective Inc., No. 22-1363 (Fed. Cir. May 8, 2023). Agreeing with the district court, the appellate panel found Pure Hemp’s exceptionality arguments lacking (even referring to Pure Hemp’s appeal as “extremely weak”) and

In a recent precedential decision, the Federal Circuit shot down arguments from appellants Phillip Morris Products S.A., Phillip Morris USA, Inc. and Altria Client Services LLC (Phillip Morris) that challenged the ban on its imported electronic cigarettes handed down from the International Trade Commission (ITC).

The fight between the tobacco competitors started around this

Patent owners worry about what they can and cannot publicly say about infringement of their patent rights. Accused infringers may believe that certain public statements by patent owners are actionable on the basis that such statements interfere with business, are defamatory, or both. Last month, the Federal Circuit clarified what can and cannot be said

Recently, the Federal Circuit affirmed a finding of non-obviousness from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of a design patent owned by GM. While non-precedential, this decision is nonetheless a valuable read because the Federal Circuit scrutinized the obviousness standard applicable to design patents. In doing so, the appellate panel clarified that