Cooper & Dunham LLP

Tuesday, May31, 2011:

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a decision in favor of SEB S.A., a French home appliance manufacturer, in the case of Global-Tech Appliances, Inc. v. SEB S.A., ___ U.S. ___; 2001 WL 2119109 (2011).  Interpreting Section 271(b) of the Patent Law, the Court held that inducement of infringement requires knowledge that the induced acts constitute patent infringement, and such knowledge can be established by acts of willful blindness.  The Supreme Court's decision affirms a Judgment based on a jury verdict awarding SEB more than $5 million in damages for patent infringement.  SEB was represented at the trial by Cooper & Dunham lawyers Norman Zivin, Wendy Miller and Gregory Carbo, and was represented by Mr. Zivin and Ms. Miller before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court.