Final Infringement, Unenforceability and Invalidity Contentions

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Rule Set: Local Patent Rules of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Rule: 3.1

Jurisdiction: NDIL

Bluebook Citation: N.D. Ill. L. Pat. R. 3.1

(a) Final Infringement Contentions. Final infringement contentions shall be served in two stages:

(1) Within nineteen (19) weeks after the due date for service of Initial Infringement Contentions, each party claiming patent infringement must serve on all other parties a list identifying no more than 10 claims per patent and no more than 20 claims overall that the party is asserting, each of which must be selected from claims identified in the Initial Infringement Contentions.

(2) Within twenty-one (21) weeks after the due date for service of Initial Infringement Contentions, each party claiming patent infringement must serve on all other parties "Final Infringement Contentions" containing the information required by LPR 2.2 (a)-(h). In the Final Infringement Contentions, no Accused Instrumentality may be accused of infringing more than ten (10) claims per patent and twenty (20) claims overall, selected from the claims identified in the Initial Infringement Contentions. If the Doctrine of Equivalents is being asserted, the Final Infringement Contentions must include an explanation of each function, way, and result that is equivalent and why any differences are not substantial.

(b) Final Unenforceability and Invalidity Contentions. Each party asserting invalidity or unenforceability of a patent claim shall serve on all other parties, at the same time that the Final Infringement Contentions required by LPR 3.1(a)(2) are served, "Final Unenforceability and Invalidity Contentions" containing the information required by LPR 2.3 (b) and (c). Final Invalidity Contentions may rely on more than twenty-five (25) prior art references only by order of the Court upon a showing of good cause and absence of unfair prejudice to opposing parties. For each claim alleged to be invalid, the Final Unenforceability and Invalidity Contentions are limited to four (4) prior art grounds per claim and four (4) non-prior art grounds. No claim asserted to be infringed shall be subject to more than eight (8) total grounds per claim. Each of the following shall constitute separate grounds: indefiniteness, lack of written description, lack of enablement, unenforceability, and non-statutory subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101. Each assertion of anticipation and each combination of references shall constitute separate grounds.

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