Appeals Court Overturns Patent Ruling Against Nine Energy

The Federal Circuit has reversed a Texas court’s patent infringement ruling against Nine Energy Service Inc. regarding a drilling device used for oil and natural gas wells. Judge Tiffany P. Cunningham noted that the term “internal diameter” in US Patent No. 10,465,445 was not clearly defined, countering the district court’s view that it could have varying meanings in different contexts. Instead, Cunningham stated that the term could uniformly refer to both the inner surface and the measured diameter of the device. Nine Energy’s appeal originated from a decision made by the US District Court for the Western District of Texas.