Typo spells the end of patent challenge

Description

Abstract: What happens when a patent is challenged as being obvious based on a previous patent, but the earlier patent contains a typographical error? It depends on how obvious the error is. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently found such a patent error obvious — even though the error wasn’t discovered until an expert conducted extensive analysis 20 years after the error was first published. The result: The earlier patent didn’t disclose the subsequent invention, and the later patent wasn’t invalidated in view of the prior, errant disclosure. This article discusses the law governing typographical errors in patents. A brief sidebar highlights the dissenting judge’s opinion that, while agreeing that the majority applied the proper standard, the error at issue was not only typographical. LG Electronics Inc. v. ImmerVision, No. 21-2037, -2038 (Fed. Cir. July 11, 2022).