Law Commons^™

Equity For Whom? Defining The Reach Of Non-Literal Patent Infringement, Peter K. Schalestock

Seattle University Law Review

The doctrine of equivalents began as a tool creating judicial flexibility to shield patent holders from piracy through minor variations on their inventions. Over time, two trends have transformed it from shield to sword. First, plaintiffs have persuaded courts to allow claims of infringement by equivalents even where there is no evidence of copying or other fraud. Second, as juries have decided more and more infringement cases, their sympathy for patent holders has had a greater impact on equivalents cases. Together, these trends have worked a gross distortion on the doctrine of equivalents. The doctrine should not be used to …