“Colorable Difference” in Contempt Proceedings
| November 4, 2013
nCube Corp. v. SeaChange Int’l Inc. (nCube Corp. is now ARRIS Group)
October 10, 2013
JUDGES: Rader, Prost and Taranto; OPINION BY: Prost
SUMMARY
In the infringement suit, SeaChange was found to have infringed of ARRIS’s patent. In the infringing system, ClientID was updated in the connection service table. SeaChange soon began to sell modified products in which SessionID was updated in the connection service table. SeaChange was enjoined from making, using, selling any devices “not more than colorably different” from the infringing product.
ARRIS filed a motion to hold SeaChanger in contempt of a permanent injunction order. The district court found that ARRIS failed to meet its burden of showing contempt by clear and convincing evidence and declined to hold the infringer in contempt and ARRIS appealed.
CAFC affirmed denial of the contempt motion. CAFC found that it was more than a colorable difference from the patented product that the infringer modified its product such that ClientID was no longer updated in the connection service table. CAFC ruled that the fact that SessionID continued to be updated in the connection service table with similar information, which had not been challenged at trial as infringing the patent, did not provide a basis for finding contempt.
特許侵害訴訟でSeaChangeはARRISの特許を侵害すると判断された。侵害製品は接続サービス表のClientIDをアップデートするものだった。ARRISはすぐに改良製品を販売し始め、それは接続サービス表のSessionIDをアップデートするものだった。SeaChangeは侵害製品から「colorably different」を超えない製品の製造・使用･販売の差止を命じられた。ARRISは侵害者が永久差止命令を侮辱するものとする決定を求める申立をした。地裁は、ARRISが、明白で説得力のある立証をしていないとして、申立を棄却した。CAFCは、地裁の決定を維持した。CAFCは、SeaChangeが、接続サービス表のClientIDが更新されないよう改変したことは、colorable differenceを超えるものであると判断した。そして、CAFCは、公判で侵害を立証するために使用されなかったSessionIDが引続き更新されていることは、法廷侮辱の認定の根拠にならないとした。
