Authorities Cited: United States Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Patent No. 5,580,718 U.S. Patent No. 5,846,704 U.S. Patent No. 6,071,693 United States Code 35 U.S.C. § 282 Supreme Court 383 U.S. 1, 36 477 U.S. 242, 248 Circuit Courts 747 F.2d 1553, 1559 775 F.2d 1107, 1121 823 F.2d 1538, 1549 833 F.2d 1253, 1261-1262 6 F.3d 770, 772 48 F.3d 1172, 1178 58 F.3d 310, 314 79 F.3d 1572, 1581 138 F.3d 1448, 1456 159 F.3d 534, 551 201 F.3d 973, 977 224 F.3d 1320, 1326 268 F.3d 1342, 1348 274 F.3d 1371, 1385 299 F.3d 1313, 1326 322 F.3d 983, 1005 346 F.3d 1057, 1072 356 F.3d 751, 758 358 F.3d 870, 878-880 389 F.3d 1370, 1376 403 F.3d 1373, 1375 415 F.3d 597, 599 415 F.3d 1303, 1312-1321 417 F.3d 1369, 1373 418 F.3d 1225, 1231 437 F.3d 1309, 1316 441 F.3d 977, 988 444 F.3d 593, 605 480 F.3d 1129, 1136 486 F.3d 1017, 1021 492 F.3d 1336, 1344 497 F.3d 1360 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a) Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(A)