Federal Circuit Affirms Noninfringement Finding in Ladder Patent Dispute

"The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) on Thursday affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment of noninfringement in favor of Tricam Industries, Inc. in a patent infringement suit brought by Little Giant Ladder Systems, LLC. The decision held that Tricam's ladders did not infringe Little Giant's patent, either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents, and that the district court correctly construed the key claim term "cavity.""

"The district court construed "cavity" as "a hollowed-out space (not passing all the way through)," and the Federal Circuit noted that the parties had "essentially agreed" on this construction. The court also determined that a "substantial amount" of a bracket must be "disposed within" this cavity, meaning "more than a majority" of the bracket is "placed inside of" the hollowed-out space."

Federal Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment of noninfringement for Tricam Industries against Little Giant Ladder Systems regarding U.S. Patent No. 10,767,416. The '416 patent concerns a multi-position ladder with an improved locking mechanism intended to enhance ease of use, stability, and safety and to reduce finger-pinching risks. Little Giant appealed claim construction, exclusion of Mr. Smith's infringement opinion, and the noninfringement ruling. The courts construed "cavity" as a hollowed-out space not passing all the way through and required more than a majority of a bracket to be disposed within that cavity. The Federal Circuit affirmed the judgment in its entirety.

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