Poly-America, L.P. v. API Industries, Inc., No. 16-1200 (Fed. Cir. Oct. 14, 2016)

From the Opinion

The passage below is extracted verbatim from the opening of the document. It has not been editorially summarized — consult the full opinion for the court's complete reasoning.

This case is about disavowal of claim scope. The spec- ification and prosecution history of Poly -America, L.P.’s (“Poly-America”) U.S. Patent No. 8,702,308 (“’308 patent”) contain clear and unequivocal statements that the inve n- tor intended to limit the claimed invention to a trash bag with “short seals” at its upper corners that extend inward- ly to nar row the bag’s upper opening. In light of the inventor’s disavowal, the district court correctly construed the term “ short seal ” to require that such seals extend inwardly. We therefore affirm. I.