How Direct Purchasers Fit Into Walker Process Landscape

This article discusses the background of the Federal Circuit’s holding in Ritz Camera and how direct-purchaser litigation may fit into the Walker Process landscape.

Law360, New York (January 16, 2013, 12:06 PM ET) -- More than 45 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Walker Process Equipment Inc. v. Food Machinery & Chemical Corp.,[1] that a patent holder who acquires a patent through intentional fraud can be held liable under the antitrust laws. Since that landmark ruling, competitors in patent cases have frequently asserted Walker Process claims, seeking an affirmative recovery for harm caused by patents acquired through fraud and/or inequitable conduct before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.