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CeramTec GmbH v. CoorsTek Bioceramics LLC, fka C5 Medical Werks, LLC

Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, No. 2023-1502 · judgment January 3, 2025


Certiorari denied · October 6, 2025
Pre-decision estimate: 3% cert probability

Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.

Question presented

Whether under this Court’s decision in TrafFix Devices, Inc. v. Marketing Displays, Inc., 532 U.S. 23 (2001), a utility patent that produces a product with a wide array of designs is “strong evidence” that every aspect of every design produced by practicing the patent is functional rather than arbitrary, incidental, or ornamental. (i)

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Jessica Lynn Ellsworth
Hogan Lovells US, LLP

For respondent
Steven Joseph Horowitz
Sidley Austin LLP

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Linked docket
24A1236

Proceedings

  1. Oct 06 2025
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Sep 10 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
  3. Sep 08 2025
    Waiver of right of respondent CoorsTek Bioceramics LLC to respond filed.
  4. Aug 20 2025
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 22, 2025)
  5. Jun 25 2025
    Application (24A1236) granted by The Chief Justice extending the time to file until August 20, 2025.
  6. Jun 11 2025
    Application (24A1236) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from July 21, 2025 to August 20, 2025, submitted to The Chief Justice.