American Axle & Manufacturing v. Neapco Holdings LLC

  1. October 23, 2020

    Fed. Circ. Won't Halt American Axle Case For High Court Bid

    The Federal Circuit on Friday refused to stay a controversial decision invalidating part of a car driveshaft patent for claiming a natural law while patentee American Axle & Manufacturing appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, though one judge said she believes there's a "fair probability" the justices will reverse.

  2. August 06, 2020

    Driveshaft Case Brings More Confusion To Patent Eligibility

    The Federal Circuit's latest fractured opinion on patent eligibility, this one invalidating a car driveshaft patent, has further muddled the law on the contentious issue and could lead to even more patents being invalidated, according to experts left frustrated by the ruling.

  3. July 31, 2020

    Driveshaft Patent Eligibility Has Full Fed. Circuit Bitterly Split

    The full Federal Circuit decided Friday not to review a decision invalidating an American Axle driveshaft patent for claiming a natural law, as half the court said it simply applied precedent while the other half argued it sets confusing new law that one judge said will "lead to insanity."

  4. July 09, 2020

    Patent Cases To Watch In The Second Half Of 2020

    A wave of U.S. Supreme Court petition denials has made 2020 a bit of a letdown for patent attorneys, but there are several high-profile cases on the horizon that could decide the fate of Patent Trial and Appeal Board judges and biosimilars law, and offer more clarity on licensing standard essential patents.

  5. December 18, 2019

    Fed. Circ. Told Impact of Drive Shaft Ruling 'Vastly Overstated'

    Neapco Holdings fired back Tuesday against American Axle & Manufacturing's assertion that a Federal Circuit panel's invalidation of a drive shaft patent dangerously altered patent eligibility standards, telling the court AAM "vastly overstated" the case's impact.

  6. December 13, 2019

    Michel Says Drive Shaft Ruling Puts All Patents In Jeopardy

    Former Federal Circuit Chief Judge Paul R. Michel is urging his old court to undo its decision to invalidate an American Axle & Manufacturing automobile drive shaft technology patent, saying it puts "seemingly every patent [in] eligibility jeopardy."

  7. November 19, 2019

    Drive Shaft Ruling Undermines IP Eligibility, Fed. Circ. Told

    The Federal Circuit failed to explain what natural law underlies an American Axle & Manufacturing automobile drive shaft technology patent before invalidating it, and it dangerously altered patent eligibility standards, AAM said in a bid for rehearing.

  8. October 24, 2019

    Drive Shaft Ruling May Expand Challenges To Patent Eligibility

    A Federal Circuit ruling that a car drive shaft patent is ineligible for claiming a law of nature could, despite denunciations from a judge and a member of Congress, spur more patent eligibility challenges in technology areas where they have so far been rare, attorneys say.

  9. October 04, 2019

    GOP Rep. Blasts 'Unthinkable' Fed. Circ. Drive Shaft IP Ruling

    In a rare move, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee on Friday tore into the Federal Circuit's "unthinkable" decision invalidating a patent related to automobile drive shaft technology, calling on Congress to come up with a new patent eligibility test.

  10. October 03, 2019

    Split Fed. Circ. Says Driveshaft Tech Not Eligible For Patent

    A split Federal Circuit on Thursday invalidated a patent related to automobile driveshaft technology after finding it claimed only a natural law, prompting a fiery dissent from one judge who called the ruling "troubling."