Intuitive Surgical v. Computer Motion
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Delaware jury unanimously awards Intuitive Surgical $4.4 mil. after concluding IBM and Intuitive Surgical's voice-controlled surgical robot patent 6,201,984 is valid and that Computer Motion's Aesop and Zeus products infringe. After the jury phase, the companies began presenting evidence concerning Computer Motion's "prosecution latches" defense; the process is expected to conclude by early October, according to Intuitive Surgical. The court will then deliberate on the jury's verdict, determining whether the "prosecution latches" prevent enforcement of the '984 patent. The case began Aug. 12 (1"The Gray Sheet" Aug. 5, 2002, p. 16)...