Litigation News

Korea expands SME Technology Dispute Litigation Insurance program, covering up to 5 IP rights including newly added trademark rights alongside existing patent and design rights. Government subsidizes 70-80% of premiums, with maximum coverage of 50 million won domestic/$72,000 overseas. New features include optional defense litigation coverage, patent trial cost support up to $7,200 for pre-litigation stages, and reduced premium burdens to help SMEs address technology theft and patent disputes.

Accord, Intas, and Bio-Thera Solutions filed four IPR petitions challenging Janssen patents covering Simponi (golimumab) method-of-treatment claims for intravenous administration. The patents were previously asserted against Accord and Bio-Thera in Delaware federal court litigation. Petitioners argue the claims are unpatentable based on prior art clinical trials showing the dosing regimens. The challenge relates to Bio-Thera's proposed biosimilar BAT2506, with FDA aBLA accepted in July 2025. Simponi generated $1.2B in 2025 U.S. sales.

The U.S. International Trade Commission launched a Section 337 investigation after NPE Monolithic 3D accused SK hynix and Kioxia of infringing HBM and NAND flash patents, seeking import bans. Korean chipmakers face increasing patent troll lawsuits, with 553 of 610 cases filed in the U.S. between 2020-2025. Samsung faces separate HBM dispute with NPE Netlist, which previously secured $40 million from SK hynix and $118 million from Samsung in Texas federal court.

Dolby sued Snap on March 23, 2026, alleging Snapchat's video encoding/decoding processes infringe four Dolby patents related to color plane prediction, block merging, sample sequence coding, and entropy coding mechanisms. The lawsuit challenges AV1 codec's "royalty-free" status, claiming it incorporates Dolby's patented technology from HEVC. Access Advance has sought licensing since August 2025. Dolby seeks damages, injunction against AV1 encoding/decoding, and confirmation of no licensing obligations to competitors.

U.S. District Court for Delaware preserved jury verdict that Alcon willfully infringed three Sight Sciences patents related to Hydrus Microstent device. Court awarded Sight Sciences over $34 million in past damages ($5.5 million lost profits, $28.5 million royalties) plus ongoing 10% royalty on Hydrus sales through November 2028. Final judgment expected soon, subject to Alcon appeal and USPTO reexamination proceedings.

U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware upheld jury verdict finding Alcon willfully infringed three Sight Sciences patents related to Hydrus® Microstent. Sight Sciences awarded over $34 million in damages ($5.5 million lost profits, $28.5 million royalties) plus ongoing 10% royalties on Hydrus revenue through November 2028. Cooley LLP represented Sight Sciences with $5.4 million success fee. Judgment subject to appeal and potential USPTO reexamination proceedings initiated by Alcon.

GlobalFoundries filed patent infringement lawsuits against Tower Semiconductor in the U.S. International Trade Commission and Western District of Texas federal court. GlobalFoundries alleges Tower violated 11 patents covering analog, radio frequency, and silicon photonics manufacturing technologies for semiconductors in smart mobile, automotive, and aerospace sectors. The suits seek to block Tower's imports and sales of allegedly infringing products from its California and Texas plants, plus compensation for lost profits. Tower denies the allegations.

Federal Judge Jennifer L. Hall upheld a $34 million patent infringement verdict against Alcon Inc. over its Hydrus Microstent glaucoma device. The Delaware court denied Alcon's post-trial motions for judgment or new trial, preserving the jury's April 2024 findings that favored patent owner Sight Sciences Inc. Rather than blocking future sales, the judge imposed a 10% ongoing royalty on Alcon's Hydrus Microstent revenue.

GlobalFoundries filed patent infringement lawsuits against Tower Semiconductor at the US International Trade Commission and Western District of Texas federal court. GloFo alleges Tower is unlicensed use of patented semiconductor manufacturing process technologies for ICs in smartphones, automotive, aerospace, and communications applications. GlobalFoundries seeks to prevent Tower from importing and selling infringing products plus monetary damages.

Supreme Court reversed Fourth Circuit in Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment, rejecting $1 billion copyright damages award. Court held ISPs not contributorily liable for subscriber infringement merely by continuing service to known infringing IP addresses. Requires proof of intent through inducement or infringement-tailored service. Cox's internet access had substantial noninfringing uses and company discouraged infringement through warnings and terminations. Decision limits knowledge-based liability theories, requiring active inducement or infringement-specific services for contributory copyright liability.