Authorities Cited: United States Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Patent No. 6,104,711 U.S. Patent No. 6,282,574 U.S. Patent No. 6,542,497 United States Code 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(1) Supreme Court 477 U.S. 299, 312 Circuit Courts 805 F.2d 1558, 1563 946 F.2d 850, 854 6 F.3d 770, 772 52 F.3d 967, 978 64 F.3d 1553, 1556 103 F.3d 970, 974 138 F.3d 1448, 1456 181 F.3d 1291, 1300 212 F.3d 1272, 1281 242 F.3d 1337, 1343 256 F.3d 1323, 1335 285 F.3d 1362, 1374 314 F.3d 1313, 1327 342 F.3d 1361, 1371-1372 357 F.3d 1340, 1350 362 F.3d 1359, 1365 381 F.3d 1371, 1381 402 F.3d 1371, 1384 413 F.3d 1361, 1381 415 F.3d 1303, 1312-1323 418 F.3d 1282, 1326 429 F.3d 1364, 1381 452 F.3d 1312, 1318-1319 452 F.3d 1331, 1348 453 F.3d 1364, 1378 474 F.3d 1323, 1333 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Fed. R. Civ. P. 51