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N.D. Ind. L.P.R. 4-1

Claim-construction Proceedings

activein force · 2013-12-01 – presentact-effective-date

(a) Exchanging Terms. Within 14 days after receiving the preliminary invalidity

contentions (or within 42 days after receiving the preliminary infringement

contentions in those actions in which validity is not at issue), each party must

serve on all other parties a list of claim terms that the party contends should be

construed by the court (terms for construction), and identify any claim term that

the party contends should be governed by 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).

(b) Exchanging Preliminary Claim Constructions and Extrinsic Evidence; Parties’

Conference.

(1) Within 14 days after the proposed terms for construction are exchanged,

the parties must exchange proposed constructions of each term

(preliminary claim construction[s]). Each preliminary claim construction

must also, for each term which any party contends is governed by 35

U.S.C. § 112(f), identify the function of that term and the structures, acts,

or materials corresponding to that term’s function.

(2) When the parties exchange their preliminary claim constructions, they

must also identify all references from the specification or prosecution

history that support its construction and designate any supporting

extrinsic evidence including:

(A) dictionary definitions;

(B) citations to learned treatises and prior art, and

(C) testimony of percipient and expert witnesses.

(3) Within 14 days after the preliminary claim constructions are exchanged,

the parties must meet and confer to limit the terms in dispute by

narrowing or resolving differences and plan to prepare a joint claim-construction and prehearing statement. The parties must also jointly identify

no more than ten disputed terms per patent in suit, unless the court grants

more for inclusion in the joint claim-construction and prehearing

statement. If a dispute arises as to which terms to include in the joint

claim-construction and prehearing statement, each side must be

presumptively limited to five disputed terms per patent in suit. This limit

may only be altered by leave of court.

(c) Joint Claim-construction and Prehearing Statement. Within 14 days after they

meet and confer, the parties must complete and file a joint claim-construction and

prehearing statement. This statement must address the disputed terms and contain

the following information:

(1) The construction of those terms on which the parties agree;

(2) Each party’s construction of each disputed term (with the identity of all

references from the specification or prosecution history that support its

construction) and the identity of any extrinsic evidence known to the

party on which it intends to rely either to support its construction or to

oppose another party’s construction, including dictionary definitions,

citations to learned treatises and prior art, and testimony of percipient and

expert witnesses;

(3) The anticipated length of time necessary for the claim-construction

hearing; and

(4) If witnesses are to be called at the claim-construction hearing, the identity

of each such witness, and for each witness, a summary of his or her

testimony including, for any expert witness, a report containing the

expert’s claim-construction opinions and the reasons for them.

(d) Completing Claim-construction Discovery. Within 21 days after the joint claim-construction and prehearing statement is filed, the parties must complete all

discovery relating to claim construction, including witness depositions.

(e) Claim-construction Briefs

(1) Opening Briefs. Within 14 days after completing claim-construction

discovery, the parties must file their respective opening briefs and any

evidence supporting their claim constructions.

(2) Length. Opening briefs may not exceed 30 pages without leave of court.

(3) Response Briefs. Within 21 days after receiving an opening brief, each

opposing party must file any response briefs and supporting evidence.

(4) Length. Response briefs may not exceed 20 pages without leave of court.

(5) Additional Briefs. Reply and surreply briefs are not permitted without

leave of court.

(f) Claim-construction Hearing. When necessary to construe the claims, the court

will endeavor to conduct a claim-construction hearing within 63 days after

briefing is complete.

(g) Tutorial Hearings. The court may order a tutorial hearing to occur before, or

during, the claim-construction hearing.

(h) Orders. The court will work expeditiously to issue a prompt claim-construction

order after the hearing.

Provenance

Source
www.innd.uscourts.gov
Retrieved
2026-09-18
Edition
fed-district-2026-09-19
Content hash
430c2c1cd253a876d0cc12594786b8f31bb6346996b948b22ce859d6b71a940b
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