CASE OF THE WEEK

HIP, Inc. v. Hormel Foods Corp., Appeal No. 2022-1696 (Fed. Cir. May 2, 2023)

In its only precedential patent opinion this week, the Federal Circuit reversed a district court determination that David Howard should be added as a joint inventor on appellant Hormel’s U.S. Patent No. 9,980,498, which is directed to a two-step method of precooking bacon or meat pieces.  Accepting the facts of Mr. Howard’s contribution, the Court relied entirely on the disclosures of the ’498 patent itself to determine that the contribution was not sufficiently significant to warrant adding him as a joint inventor.

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Editors:

Nika Aldrich and Jason A. Wrubleski, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C.