Judge Affirms Literal Infringement In Ravgen’s $57M Jury Win

By Editorial Team

A Texas federal judge has upheld a jury’s finding that genetic testing company Natera Inc. committed literal infringement of a patent held by Ravgen Inc. The judge affirmed the jury’s decision regarding literal infringement but expressed concerns about the expert testimony supporting the finding of infringement under the doctrine of equivalents.

The case involves a patent held by Ravgen Inc. related to methods for the detection of genetic disorders, specifically patent number 7,332,277.

Law360 reported that the judge’s ruling upheld the jury’s decision on literal infringement, indicating that Natera Inc. had indeed infringed on Ravgen’s patent in a straightforward manner. However, the judge raised doubts about the sufficiency of the expert testimony presented to support the infringement under the doctrine of equivalents.

The legal battle between Ravgen Inc. and Natera Inc. involved complex issues related to intellectual property rights and patent infringement in the field of genetic testing. The case was heard in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Law firms involved in the case included Dacus Law Firm, Desmarais LLP, McDermott Will & Schulte, Prichard Young, and WilmerHale. Companies mentioned in the case were Natera Inc. as the defendant and Ravgen Inc. as the plaintiff.

The judge’s decision to affirm the literal infringement finding in Ravgen’s favor highlights the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and enforcing patent laws in the biotechnology and genetic testing industries.