Supreme Court Cases

 

Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashions Group, Inc.

Docket: 18-1086 Decision Date: 2020-05-14
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This links to the official slip opinion PDF.
How to read this page

Below are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashions Group, Inc. and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).

Summary

A short, plain-English overview of Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashions Group, Inc..

The Supreme Court ruled that the Patent Office's decision to institute inter partes review is not subject to judicial review under 35 U.S.C. § 314(d). This decision aligns with the Court's previous ruling in Cuozzo, which stated that challenges closely tied to the application and interpretation of statutes related to the institution decision are barred from review. The Court emphasized that allowing appeals on such grounds would undermine the efficiency of the inter partes review process.

Holding

The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashions Group, Inc..

The Court held that 35 U.S.C. § 314(d) precludes judicial review of the agency's application of § 315(b)'s time prescription.

Constitutional Concepts

These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashions Group, Inc.. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.

  • Why Administrative Law is relevant to Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashions Group, Inc.

    The case primarily deals with the limits of judicial review over agency decisions, specifically the Patent Office's decision to institute inter partes review.

    Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)
    Section 314(d) precludes judicial review of the agency's application of § 315(b)'s time prescription.
  • Why Judicial Review is relevant to Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashions Group, Inc.

    The Court's decision focuses on whether the agency's decision to institute inter partes review is subject to judicial review.

    Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)
    A party generally cannot contend on appeal that the agency should have refused 'to institute an inter partes review.'

Key Quotes

Short excerpts from the syllabus in Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashions Group, Inc. that support the summary and concepts above.

  • Section 314(d) precludes judicial review of the agency's application of § 315(b)'s time prescription.
  • A § 315(b) challenge easily meets that measurement.
  • Allowing § 315(b) appeals, however, would unwind agency proceedings determining patentability and leave bad patents enforceable.

 

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