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Litigating Reduction to Practice: Traps for the Unwary

By Jeffrey G. Homrig
December 28, 2006

Part Two of a Two-Part Series

Part One of this series discussed the two types of reduction to practice: constructive and actual. This installment continues the discussion of satisfying the second prong of the actual reduction to practice test.

A significant trap for the unwary patentee involves the requirement that the testing ' as well as the construction of the device ' be corroborated. This applies not only to the inventor's oral testimony, but also to documents created by the inventor that purport to describe his or her work, such as notebooks. Medichem, S.A. v. Rolabo, S.L., 437 F.3d 1157, 1170 (Fed. Cir. 2006). '[A]n unwitnessed notebook is insufficient on its own to support a claim of reduction to practice.' Nor can one co-inventor corroborate the other's testimony or documents.

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