KSR v. Teleflex

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KSR v. Teleflex is a 2006 case before the United States Supreme Court concerning the issue of patent obviousness. The plaintiff, Teleflex, Inc. sued the defendant, KSR International, charging it with violating its patent ^[1] on connecting an adjustable vehicle control pedal to an electronic throttle control. KSR argued that merely combining these two elements was obvious, and therefore not patentable. KSR won at the district court level, only to have the opinion overturned by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in January 2005.

Oral arguments were heard by the Supreme Court on November 28, 2006. The petitioner, KSR, was represented by James W. Dabney. Deputy solicitor general Thomas G. Hungar represented the government, which sided with the petitioner. Thomas C. Goldstein argued on behalf of the respondent, Teleflex.