Life Technologies v Promega: the long tentacles of infringement

After hearing three patent cases in its last term, the US Supreme Court agreed in June to take on another: Life Technologies et al v Promega et al. The Supreme Court’s focus will be on the meaning of a particular phrase—“substantial portion”—that appears in 35 USC §271(f)(1). This section of the patent statute governs infringement in circumstances where components from the US are shipped abroad for inclusion in a combination that would have infringed a patent had the combination been manufactured in the US.

Already registered?

For multi-user price options, or to check if your company has an existing subscription that we can add you to for FREE, please email Adrian Tapping at atapping@newtonmedia.co.uk

More on this story

Americas

Settled expectations, the six-year rule, and developments in USPTO policy

6 November 2026 Uncertainty over whether a patent can be challenged through inter partes review at the USPTO has only increased since the discretionary denial policy was introduced, so how should companies plan? Mauricio Uribe and Maria Anderson of Davis Wright Tremaine explain.

Americas

Court upholds $83m sequencing verdict and sets royalty rate

17 June 2026 A cancer diagnostics company has lost its bid to overturn a jury verdict in a major patent dispute that has also spawned parallel proceedings before the Federal Circuit and PTAB.

Americas

Amgen and subsidiary dealt $20m blow over rodent antibody tech

15 June 2026 Unanimous jury finds willful infringement, with the possibility of a trebled award and a much larger feud still to come.