Hafeman v. Google (Fed. Cir., June 5, 2026) 2024-1600

This episode concerns a judicial opinion from the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit regarding a patent dispute between Carolyn W. Hafeman and tech giants Google and Microsoft. The court addressed appeals from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, which had previously determined that several of Hafeman’s patents related to recovering lost or stolen computers were unpatentable. A central issue involved the "without assistance" limitation, where the court upheld a broad interpretation that allowed for the user to establish an internet connection while still meeting the patent's criteria. Additionally, the court refused to review challenges regarding a legal stipulation involving LG Electronics, noting that such matters are tied to the initial decision to institute review and are therefore barred from appeal. Finally, the judges affirmed that Hafeman failed to demonstrate a sufficient nexus between her commercial product and the patented claims to overcome evidence of obviousness. Ultimately, the court dismissed parts of the appeal while affirming the unpatentability of the challenged claims.

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