NOTE: This order is nonprecedential.
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
2006-1562
EGYPTIAN GODDESS, INC.,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
and
ADI TORKIYA,
Third Party Defendant,
v.
SWISA, INC. and DROR SWISA,
Defendants/Third Party Plaintiffs-
Appellees.
Before MICHEL, Chief Judge, NEWMAN, Circuit Judge, ARCHER, Senior Circuit
Judge, ∗ MAYER, LOURIE, RADER, SCHALL, BRYSON, GAJARSA, LINN, DYK,
PROST, and MOORE, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM.
ORDER
A combined petition for panel rehearing and rehearing en banc was filed by the
Appellant, and a response thereto was invited by the court and filed by the Appellees.
The court granted Nike, Inc. and American Intellectual Property Law Association
motions for leave to file briefs as amici curiae.
The petition for rehearing was referred to the panel that heard the appeal, and
thereafter the petition for rehearing en banc, response, and the amici curiae briefs were
∗
Senior Judge Archer, who was on the original panel, participated only in
decision on the petition for panel rehearing.
referred to the circuit judges who are authorized to request a poll whether to rehear the
appeal en banc. A poll was requested, taken, and the court has decided that it is
appropriate for en banc consideration.
Upon consideration thereof,
IT IS ORDERED THAT:
(1) The petition for panel rehearing is denied.
(2) The petition for rehearing en banc is granted.
(3) The court’s August 29, 2007 opinion is vacated and the appeal is
reinstated.
(4) The parties are requested to file briefs that should address the following
questions:
1) Should “point of novelty” be a test for infringement of design patent?
2) If so, (a) should the court adopt the non-trivial advance test adopted by
the panel majority in this case; (b) should the point of novelty test be
part of the patentee’s burden on infringement or should it be an
available defense; (c) should a design patentee, in defining a point of
novelty, be permitted to divide closely related or ornamentally
integrated features of the patented design to match features contained
in an accused design; (d) should it be permissible to find more than
one “point of novelty” in a patented design; and (e) should the overall
appearance of a design be permitted to be a point of novelty? See
Lawman Armor Corp. v. Winner Int’l, LLC, 449 F.3d 1190 (Fed. Cir.
2006).
2006-1562 -2-
3) Should claim construction apply to design patents, and, if so, what role
should that construction play in the infringement analysis? See Elmer
v. ICC Fabricating, Inc., 67 F.3d 1571, 1577 (Fed. Cir. 1995).
This appeal will be heard en banc on the basis of briefs addressing, inter alia, the
issues set forth above. An original and thirty copies of all briefs shall be filed, and two
copies served on opposing counsel. The Appellant shall file a brief within sixty days
from the date of filing of this order. The Appellees’ brief is due within forty days from the
date of service of the Appellant’s brief. The Appellant’s reply brief, if any, is due within
fourteen days from the date of service of the Appellees’ brief. Briefs shall adhere to the
type-volume limitations set forth in Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32 and Federal
Circuit Rule 32.
Briefs of amici curiae will be entertained in accordance with Federal Rules of
Appellate Procedure 29 and Federal Circuit Rule 29. Scheduling of oral argument, if
any, will be resolved at a later date.
FOR THE COURT
November 26, 2007 /s/ Jan Horbaly
Date Jan Horbaly
Clerk
cc: Robert G. Oak, Jr., Esq.
Linda G. Moore, Esq.
Christopher V. Carani, Esq.
Christopher B. Roth, Esq.
2006-1562 -3-