Sca Hygiene Prods. Aktiebolag v. First Quality Baby Prods., LLC
U.S. Supreme Court · decided March 21, 2017 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Decided
- March 21, 2017
- Term
- October Term 2016
- Vote
- 7–1
- Majority author
- Justice Alito
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice ALITO delivered the opinion of the Court. We return to a subject that we addressed in Petrella v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., 572 U.S. ----, 134 S.Ct. 1962, 188 L.Ed.2d 979 (2014) : the relationship between the equitable defense of laches and claims for damages that are brought within the time allowed by a statute of limitations. In Petrella, we held that laches cannot preclude a claim for damages incurred within the Copyright Act's 3-year limitations period. Id ., at ----, 134 S.Ct., at 1967. "[L]aches," we explained, "cannot be invoked to bar legal relief" "[i]n the face of a statute of limitations enacted by Congress." Id ., at ----, 134 S.Ct., at 1974. The question in this case is whether Petrella 's reasoning applies to a similar provision of the Patent Act, 35 U.S.C. § 286. We hold that it does. I Petitioners SCA Hygiene Products Aktiebolag and SCA Personal Care, Inc. (collectively, SCA), manufacture and sell adult incontinence products. In October 2003, SCA sent a letter to respondents (collectively, First Quality), alleging that First Quality was making and selling products that infringed SCA's rights under U.S. Patent No. 6,375,646 B1 ('646 patent). App. 54a. First Quality responded that one of its patents- U.S. Patent No. 5,415,649 (Watanabe patent) -antedated the '646 patent and revealed "the same diaper construction." Id., at 53a. As a result, First Quality…
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