Indiana Intellectual Property Law News
An Indiana federal judge has dismissed a patent infringement lawsuit between Knauf Insulation Inc. and Johns Manville Corp. just days before trial. Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt chose not to overturn previous rulings on claim construction, stating it would be against public interest and waste substantial efforts already put into the case.
On August 16, the two companies jointly requested dismissal of the 2015 lawsuit, which alleged that Johns Manville’s EasyFit and Flex-Glass insulation products infringed on seven Knauf patents. Although the case is dismissed, the court’s earlier rulings, including invalidation of six patents, remain in effect.
Judge Pratt argued that vacating prior rulings would not benefit the public and could encourage prolonged litigation. She cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. Bancorp Mortgage Co. v. Bonner Mall Partnership as precedent against overturning rulings after settlement.
Knauf originally sued Johns Manville over patent claims, with Johns Manville delaying the case multiple times. Most claims were resolved in Johns Manville’s favor, and the remaining issues were settled out of court. Both parties agreed to the settlement.
The case has been assigned to Judge Tanya Walton Pratt and Magistrate Judge Mark J. Dinsmore in the U.S. District Court of Southern Indiana, and assigned Case No. 1:15-cv-00111-TWP-MJD.