Timelines speak volumes to jurors in patent cases. They can tell jurors how valuable the patented technology is, how long the inventor has to “cash in” on his or her invention, and even whether the invention was “copied.” Seemingly innocuous events on a timeline – events that have no legal significance — can become the foundation for jurors’ verdict decisions; some can literally tell jurors the whole story of the case. The question is whether you can read a patent case timeline like a juror would?
Read MoreAnalogies on Trial
February 4, 2013
Attorneys and their expert witnesses love analogies. Even a casual Internet search reveals dozens of attorney websites that heartily endorse the use of analogies, particularly in jury trials. Not surprisingly, these endorsements often come in the form of analogies. Analogies are described as “the most powerful tool in your toolbox” or “as weapons are to […]
Read MoreThe “Black Box” Analysis: The Inventor Story
December 4, 2012
Jurors enjoy a good inventor story—they like to hear about the oddball who sketches his ideas on a restaurant menu or the scientists who fight their way to a unique solution. Told well, these stories put a human face on what can be cold technical cases. But inventor stories do more than just make the […]
Read MoreThe “Black Box” Analysis: A New Way To Evaluate the Strength of Your Patent Case
November 9, 2012
It’s no secret that juries often struggle to make sense of patent cases. The patented technology in dispute is often obscure and frequently resists the kind of “big picture” summarizing that helps jurors get their bearings in other cases. In patent cases, jurors rarely get an easy-to-understand concise story; they are instead expected to dive […]
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