Citation Network Analysis for the United States Court of Appeals of Federal Circuit Decision of Patentability
1. Citation Network Analysis for
the United States Court of
Appeals of Federal Circuit
Decision of Patentability
Yu-Ching Kuo
PhD student
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
2013 Fall
3. Motivation & Problem
Statment
• Impact of US Supreme Court KSR case
– TSM Test (Teaching, Suggestion and
Motivation) caused a widely-opened door for
patent examination.
– After 2007 supreme court KSR case, the bar
for non-obviousness examination has been
lifted.
– Several rationals for non-obviousness
examination has been introduced into
examination.
– New strategy for R&D are thus needed.
5. Overview of KSR study
Most are legal studies:
1. Rebecca S. Eisenberg, The Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit: Visitation and Custody of Patent Law, 106 Mich. L.
Rev. First Impressions 28 (2007)
2. The Honorable Timothy B. Dyk, A review of Recent Decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit,
57 AMULR 763 (2008)
3. Theodora Blanchfield, "Obviousness” Hit the Slot Machines: The Supreme Court's KSR decision cuts a wide swath through
industry, 11/1/08 IP L. & Bus. 14 (2008)
4. Andrew Moody, Patently Obvious: A Dual-Standard Solution to the Diverging Needs of the Information Technology and
Pharmaceutical Patent Industries,39 Golden Gate U. L. Rev. 71-109 (2008)
5. Adam Powell, KSR Fallout: Questions of Law Based on Findings of Fact and the Continuing Problem of Hindsight Bias, 1
Hastings Sci. & Tech. L.J. 241-268 (2009)
6. Mojibi, Ali, An Empirical Study of the Effect of KSR V. Teleflex on the Federal Circuit’s Patent Validity Jurisprudence,
Albany Law Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. 20, No. 3, p. 101 (2010). Available at SSRN:
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1518607
7. Marian Underweiser, Presumed obvious: how KSR redefines the obviousness inquiry to help improve the public record of a
patent. 50 IDEA 247-305, (2010)
8. USPTO, Examination Guidelines Update: Developments in the Obviousness Inquiry After KSR v.Teleflex, Federal Register,
Vol. 75, No. 169 Notices, 53643（September 1, 2010）available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-21646.pdf
（last visited: 2011.4.6）
9. Rebecca Greendyke, Comment: No Patent for You!: How KSR v. Teleflex's Nonobviousness Test Conflicts with the
Scientific Method and Removes the Incentive to Innovate, 35 U. Dayton L. Rev. 413-435 (2010)
6. Overview of KSR study
About Strategy : more limited
1. Strategies for strengthening patent protection of pharmaceutical inventions in light of
federal court decisions, urr Top Med Chem. 2010 ;10(18):1929-36.
2. Isenbarger, T.A., In re Kubin's Reinvigo Rated nonobviousness standard for DNA patents,
Wisconsin Law Review, Vol. 2009, No. 6, p. 1435-1469 (2009)
3. Natalie A. Thomas, Secondary considerations in nonobviousness analysis: The use of
objective indicia following KSR v. Teleflex, New York University Law Review, Volume 86,
Issue 6, 2011, Pages 2070-2112 (2011)
4. Hao Yin, A New Formula for Analyzing Formulation-Patent Obviousness, 83 Temp. L.
Rev. 829 (2011)
8. Research Objectives
1. Find the most important factors for patent
non-obviousness
2. Provide a practical strategy for claim
construction
3. Provide a practical strategy for R&D
managing task
10. Research Design
• Formal Study
– The Research Question has been
crystalized as “the Main Factors of Patent
Non-obviousness”
• Data Collection
– Collect U.S. federal patent case from West
Law database
– Longitudinal : from 2007~
• 2-Stage Design
– pilot study for former 100 cases
– full study for all 500 cases
12. Data Analysis
1. Using citation network analysis to find the
main path of cases citing KSR
– Using social network software “Pajek”
2. Find the knowledge flow of the significant
cases in the main path
3. Find the rational inducing from the cases
4. Propose a practical strategy for R&D
activities.
18. Expected Performance
• Provide a global review for the citation
network of legal cases
• Provide the factors that should be take into
account when conduct R&D management.
