Claim construction issues relating to steel processes
Arcelormittal France, et al. v. Ak Steel Corporation, et al., Civ. No. 10-050-SLR, December 16, 2010.
Robinson, J. The court issues claim constructions.
This case was brought in January 2010 and is set for trial in January 2011, the parties having chosen to forgo summary judgment motions in return for an expedited schedule. The disputed technology related to steel processing. One of the disputed claims, “hot-rolled steel sheet” involves a product-by-process claim. Plaintiff’s argument to enlarge the scope of the claim through the broad term “comprising” so as to include sheets which were also cold-rolled was rejected. The court further construed “steel sheet has a very high mechanical resistance” in terms of tensile strength.
