Legal Definitions - Federal Circuit

The Federal Circuit is an intermediate-level appellate court in the United States. It has the authority to hear appeals in various cases, including patent cases, actions against the United States to recover damages, cases from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of International Trade, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and some administrative agencies.

The Court was created in 1982 by merging the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the U.S. Court of Claims. Its purpose was to end forum-shopping in patent suits, settle differences in patent-law doctrines among the circuits, and allow a single forum to develop the expertise needed to rule on complex technological questions that arise in patent suits.

For example, if a company believes that another company has infringed on their patent, they can appeal to the Federal Circuit to resolve the dispute. The Federal Circuit has the expertise to understand the complex technological issues involved in patent cases and can provide a fair and consistent ruling.