Let’s admit this from the start: Deciding what qualifies for a top 2013 intellectual property litigation win is a completely subjective exercise. A case might make the list because it involves a big monetary award. It could deserve mention because a judge invalidated a patent or issued an injunction. There are district court victories, successes at the Federal Circuit and wins at the International Trade Commission. Now there are even triumphs in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s own Patent Trial and Appeal Board—a new trial venue that in 2013 showed it has real teeth. And then, of course, there is the U.S. Supreme Court, which in recent years has taken more of an interest in intellectual property law and which decided several such cases in 2013.
So here is our subjective list—by no means definitive or comprehensive. But it is our not-so-humble view of some of the most important IP wins of 2013:
