(United States Supreme Court) - In an infringement suit involving patents for printer toner cartridges,brought by the cartridge manufacturer against a reseller of refilled cartridges and targeting classes of reused cartridges sold by plaintiff domestically and internationally, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeal's decision in favor of plaintiff is reversed where: 1) plaintiff exhausted its patent rights in the cartridges that it sold in the U.
S., or because a patentee's decision to sell a product exhausts all of its patent rights in that item,regardless of any restrictions the patentee purports to impose; and 2) plaintiff cannot sue defendant for infringement with respect to cartridges sold abroad, because an authorized sale external the U.
S., or just as one within the U.
S.,exhausts all rights under the Patent Act.
Source: findlaw.com