美國專利法第154(d)條規範專利獲准前的暫時性權利（provisional right），專利權始於專利領證公告當日，而專利侵權的損害賠償也會針對這天開始的侵權行為計算，不過專利法為了保障專利權人/發明人權益，仍提供一種暫時性權利，就是專利申請案公開到取得專利權之間的"空窗期"的權利，對於這段期間內的侵權行為仍有依法取得合理權利金的適用（領證後6年內可主張），暫時性權利及於美國國內製造、使用、提供販售、販售、進口。
不過，要主張這個暫時性的權利條件是：在專利公開期間已經對於潛在侵權者提出"實際告知（actual notice）"、專利領證公告後6年內主張「合理權利金」、專利獲准的發明與當時公開的申請案請求項範圍"實質相同"。另外，如果是國際申請案，應指定進入美國，並以提出英文翻譯日為準。
案件資訊：
專利權人/原告：Rosebud LMS
侵權被告：Adobe Systems
系爭專利：US8,578,280
緣起：
訴訟癥結在於適用美國專利法第154(d)條規定中的「實際告知」，要滿足實際告知的要求，才可以主張暫時性權利。
當要主張暫時性權利時，原告（專利權人）自然是要盡力證明被告已經得知系爭專利公開的事實，此案特別是，原告已經使用系爭專利'280的先前家族專利對此被告提出其他訴訟，讓原告主張被告已經知道本次系爭專利'280的公開事實，因為兩者有相同的說明書內容；原告並主張被告追蹤原告的產品，以及被告律師應知道有系爭專利公開的事實。
雖然以上"旁證"可以作為證明被告已經實際知道系爭專利的公開事實，但是就本案而言，證據還不足以證明被告已經被實際告知。
案例討論：
本案例中，Adobe答辯時，除了要證明原告Rosebud無理由主張專利獲准後的損害賠償，理由是Adobe並非持續使用被告侵權的技術；Adobe亦主張Rosebud無法主張專利獲准前的損害賠償，理由是Adobe聲明並未被實際告知相關專利公開案（actual notice of the published patent application）。
然而，法院在執行discovery前，地院准予Adobe提出的簡易判決，認為原告Rosebud提出的證據並未指出'280的專利編號（建設性通知），不符專利法規定的實際告知的要求，認為不能以過去訴訟而認定被告已知相關系爭專利。
原告Rosebud上訴CAFC。
Adobe主張154(d)規定的實際告知應要求專利申請人有確實提出告知'280相關資訊，但CAFC針對美國專利法第154(d)條「Actual Notice」要求提出意見，認為154(d)並非要求一定要有確實的告知才算Actual Notice，Actual Notice包括訊息得知（Knowledge），並非一定要有確實的告知行為。
原告Rosebud主張在許多旁證可證明Adobe已知系爭專利'280，包括其母案的訴訟、系爭案與母案有相同的揭露內容、Adobe追蹤Rosebud產品並模仿，並認為被告實務上應有檢索發現到系爭專利。
但是否得到一樣內容的家族專利就算已知，CAFC的意見是，侵權被告無法知道核准專利的範圍，因此得知（knowledge）在法律上並不足以建立154(d)中的對於公開專利案的Actual Notice。
最後，Rosebud提供的證據不足，以及未及時提出證據，證據也不能證明Adobe的Actual Notice，CAFC維持地院判決，包括認為在discovery前作出簡易判決的合法性，Adobe並未滿足Actual Notice，原告不能主張暫時性權利。
my two cents:
本案似乎因為原告的失誤，或是證據缺陷而敗訴，CAFC也順勢作出決定，其中對於Provisional right仍有一些值得注意的討論。
如果要滿足154(d)，就依照法條規定，有Actual Notice，不過要滿足這個Actual Notice，就頗費周章，即便確實的告知並非建立Actual Notice的必要條件，但還是保險起見，還是可以有Affirmative Act of Notice.
法條：
35 U.S.C. 154 CONTENTS AND TERM OF PATENT; PROVISIONAL RIGHTS
(d) PROVISIONAL RIGHTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.— In addition to other rights provided by this section, a patent shall include the right to obtain a reasonable royalty from any person who, during the period beginning on the date of publication of the application for such patent under section 122(b), or in the case of an international application filed under the treaty defined in section 351(a) designating the United States under Article 21(2)(a) of such treaty, or an international design application filed under the treaty defined in section 381(a)(1) designating the United States under Article 5 of such treaty, the date of publication of the application, and ending on the date the patent is issued—
(A)
(i) makes, uses, offers for sale, or sells in the United States the invention as claimed in the published patent application or imports such an invention into the United States; or
(ii) if the invention as claimed in the published patent application is a process, uses, offers for sale, or sells in the United States or imports into the United States products made by that process as claimed in the published patent application; and
(B) had actual notice of the published patent application and, in a case in which the right arising under this paragraph is based upon an international application designating the United States that is published in a language other than English, had a translation of the international application into the English language.
(2) RIGHT BASED ON SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL INVENTIONS.— The right under paragraph (1) to obtain a reasonable royalty shall not be available under this subsection unless the invention as claimed in the patent is substantially identical to the invention as claimed in the published patent application.
(3) TIME LIMITATION ON OBTAINING A REASONABLE ROYALTY.— The right under paragraph (1) to obtain a reasonable royalty shall be available only in an action brought not later than 6 years after the patent is issued. The right under paragraph (1) to obtain a reasonable royalty shall not be affected by the duration of the period described in paragraph (1).
(4) REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICATIONS—
(A) EFFECTIVE DATE.— The right under paragraph (1) to obtain a reasonable royalty based upon the publication under the treaty defined in section 351(a) of an international application designating the United States shall commence on the date of publication under the treaty of the international application, or, if the publication under the treaty of the international application is in a language other than English, on the date on which the Patent and Trademark Office receives a translation of the publication in the English language.
(B) COPIES.— The Director may require the applicant to provide a copy of the international application and a translation thereof.
CAFC判決：http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/15-1428.Opinion.2-5-2016.1.PDF
（備份：https://app.box.com/s/wank2cytxvw90kprwy9xmwpiaga0b2gf）
資訊參考：
http://patentlyo.com/patent/2016/02/issuance-damages-section.html
Ron
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