Authorities Cited: United States Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Patent No. 6,573,099 United States Code 28 U.S.C. § 2201 35 U.S.C. § 271(a) 35 U.S.C. § 271(e)(1) Supreme Court 312 U.S. 270, 273 319 U.S. 359, 364-365 345 U.S. 629, 632 395 U.S. 653, 663-664 402 U.S. 313, 345-347 415 U.S. 452, 459 464 U.S. 67, 72 508 U.S. 83, 95-100 523 U.S. 653, 660 528 U.S. 167, 189 532 U.S. 598, 609 545 U.S. 193 Circuit Courts 787 F.2d 572, 575 846 F.2d 731, 734-736 982 F.2d 1520, 1527 4 F.3d 975, 978 30 F.3d 1203, 1206 57 F.3d 1051, 1053 57 F.3d 1054 172 F.3d 852, 855 215 F.3d 1246, 1254-1255 331 F.3d 860 355 F.3d 1361, 1371 412 F.3d 1340 441 F.3d 936, 943 480 F.3d 1372 482 F.3d 1330 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(2) Fed. R. Civ. P. 57