Fed. Circ. Affirms Ax Of Darts-Refereeing Patent Under Alice

Partners David Donoghue and Steven Jedlinski, along with Associate Anthony Fuga, were featured in Law360 regarding their representation of Arachnid 360 LLC in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by rival electronic dartboard maker Gaelco, which makes machines that connect multiple dartboards to allow players to compete over the internet.

Gaelco alleged that Arachnid's Galaxy 3 dart machines infringed its U.S. patent, which covers a system that allows a referee to review video from a darts match to determine whether a player has violated a rule. However, Mr. Fuga argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that Gaelco had acknowledged there is no new technology involved in its patent.

"The specification is not looking to inventing a new way of connecting dartboards or a new way of connecting dartboards with a remote referee," Mr. Fuga told the appellate court. "The specification is directed to the idea of a remote referee."

Ultimately, the Federal Circuit affirmed an earlier District Court decision that ruled the patent invalid under the U.S. Supreme Court's Alice test.

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