Deserved Deference: Reconsidering the De Novo Standard of Review for Claim Construction

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review, Sep 2024

Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc. (Markman II) concluded that patent claim construction is "exclusively within the province of the court," not the jury. However, it did not mention the appropriate standard for appellate review of claim construction, and the Federal Circuit has disagreed on the proper standard of review. As such, Mr. Staheli examines the evidentiary principles of claim construction adopted by the Federal Circuit and explores the inherent reliance a court places upon technical evidence when interpreting a complex claim, focusing on the factual disputes and determinations of credibility that result from a dependence on technical evidence. After a brief discussion of why a trial court is in a better position to examine technical evidence, Mr. Staheli addresses the importance of uniformity and the significance of de novo review in maintaining uniformity. Next, an illustration of how de novo review erodes certainty about a claim's meaning is offered followed by Mr. Staheli's strategy to fulfill the desire for uniformity, yet lend a degree of deference to a trial court's factual findings, thus ensuring adequate claim construction.

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Deserved Deference: Reconsidering the De Novo Standard of Review for Claim Construction

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review Volume 3 | Issue 1 Article 6 Deserved Deference: Reconsidering the De Novo Standard of Review for Claim Construction M. Reed Staheli Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/iplr Part of the Intellectual Property Commons Repository Citation M. Reed Staheli, Deserved Deference: Reconsidering the De Novo Standard of Review for Claim Construction, 3 Intellectual Property L. Rev. 181 (1999). Available at: http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/iplr/vol3/iss1/6 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Marquette Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review by an authorized administrator of Marquette Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact . HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 181 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 182 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 183 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 184 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 185 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 186 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 187 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 188 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 189 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 190 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 191 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 192 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 193 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 194 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 195 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 196 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 197 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 198 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 199 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 200 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 201 1999 HeinOnline -- 3 Marq. Intell. Prop. L. Rev. 202 1999 (...truncated)


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M. Reed Staheli. Deserved Deference: Reconsidering the De Novo Standard of Review for Claim Construction, Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review, 1999, Volume 3, Issue 1,