Case Citation
Legal Case Name

In Re Carol F. Klopfenstein and John L. Brent, Jr Case Brief

Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit2004Docket #727999
380 F.3d 1345 2004 WL 1837586

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: The court affirmed the PTO’s denial of a patent, finding a prior slide presentation displayed at conferences constituted a “printed publication” under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b), thus barring patentability due to lack of novelty.

Legal Significance: This case clarifies that “public accessibility” is the touchstone for determining if a reference is a “printed publication,” even without distribution or indexing, and introduces factors for analyzing temporarily displayed materials.

In Re Carol F. Klopfenstein and John L. Brent, Jr Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Appellants Klopfenstein and Brent applied for a patent on October 30, 2000, for methods of preparing foods with extruded soy cotyledon fiber to lower cholesterol. In October 1998, more than one year prior to the application, appellants and a colleague presented a 14-slide presentation (the “Liu reference”) detailing the invention at an American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) meeting. The printed slides were pasted onto poster boards and displayed continuously for two and a half days. The same presentation was displayed for less than a day at Kansas State University’s Agriculture Experiment Station (AES) in November 1998. Both parties agreed the Liu reference disclosed every limitation of the invention. No copies were disseminated, and the presentation was not catalogued or indexed. No disclaimers prohibited note-taking or copying. The PTO rejected the application, finding the Liu reference was a “printed publication” under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b), anticipating the claims. The Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences affirmed, and appellants appealed.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a slide presentation, displayed at professional conferences for a limited time without distribution of copies or subsequent indexing, constitute a “printed publication” under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) if it was sufficiently accessible to the public interested in the art?

Yes, the Liu reference was a “printed publication.” The court affirmed the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco labori

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Legal Issue

Does a slide presentation, displayed at professional conferences for a limited time without distribution of copies or subsequent indexing, constitute a “printed publication” under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) if it was sufficiently accessible to the public interested in the art?

Conclusion

This decision reinforces that public accessibility is paramount for the "printed publication" Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, qui

Legal Rule

A reference constitutes a "printed publication" under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) if, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum

Legal Analysis

The court reiterated that "public accessibility" is the central inquiry for determining Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo con

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Flash Summary

  • A poster displayed at a conference can be a “printed publication”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur

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