Virginia Lawyers Weekly VA Lawyers Weekly
LifeNet Inc. v. Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation Inc.
Type of Case: Patent infringement
Court: U.S. District Court, Richmond
Attorneys: Kell M. Damsgaard, Anthony Roth and Robert Busby, Philadelphia
Summary: The jury found that Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation violated three patents held by LifeNet Inc. One patent described a process for cleaning bone grafts with an ultrasonic cleaning device so that the grafts are free from bone marrow and from bacterial, fungal and viral contamination. The other two patents involved a process for demineralizing bone so that it is in an optimal range of residual calcium.
The jury award reflected the payment of royalties it determined were due. The panel found that the infringement of one of the patents was willful, which means that $4.6 million of the award could be trebled. Post-trial motions are pending.
