Opinion
Submitted, Pasadena, California December 8, 2011
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
NOT FOR PUBLICATION. (See Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure Rule 32.1)
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California. D.C. No. 2:03-cv-00992-AJW. Andrew J. Wistrich, Magistrate Judge, Presiding.
For CYCLONE USA, INC., a Nevada corporation, Plaintiff-counter-defendant - Appellee: Darin R. Dominguez, Esquire, LAW OFFICES OF DAREN DOMINGUEZ, Cerritos, CA; Charles M. Marmelstein, Esquire, ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & KAHN, Washington, DC; Mark A. Shadrack, Esquire, SHADRACK & CHAPMAN, LLC, Laguna Niguel, CA; Timothy Lynn Skelton, Attorney, Allan E. Anderson, Esquire, Attorney, Kollin J. Zimmermann, Esquire, Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, Los Angeles, CA.
For LL& C DEALER SERVICES, LLC, Defendant-counter-claimant - Appellee: Jane E. Carey, Esquire, Schaffer Lax McNaughton & Chen, Newport Beach, CA; Howard David Gest, Burhenn & Gest LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Larry D. Langley, Esquire, LANGLEY LAW FIRM, PC, Scottsdale, AZ; Jerry B. Marshak, Esquire, VAN DORN & MARSHAK LAW OFFICES, Burbank, CA.
For SEI KIM, Erroneously Sued as Korean Industrial Design Corporation, DBA Korean Industrial Design Company, Defendant-counter-claim-3rd-party-plaintiff - Appellant: Anthony J. Dain, Esquire, Trial Attorney, Frederick Keith Taylor, Senior Counsel, Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP, San Diego, CA.
For JAY KIM, Third-party-defendant: Darin R. Dominguez, Esquire, LAW OFFICES OF DAREN DOMINGUEZ, Cerritos, CA; Mark A. Shadrack, Esquire, SHADRACK & CHAPMAN, LLC, Laguna Niguel, CA.
Before: NOONAN, GOULD, and IKUTA, Circuit Judges.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
Sei Kim appeals the district court's award of $500 for a single transaction of false patent marking by Cyclone USA under 35 U.S.C. § 292. On September 16, 2011, Congress amended 35 U.S.C. § 292 and made the amendments retroactive on pending cases. Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, Pub. L. No. 112-29, § 16(b)(4), 125 Stat. 329 (2011). The penalty under the amended § 292(a) is no longer available to a private party such as Sei Kim. Instead, § 292(b) now grants Sei Kim the right to recover damages to compensate for competitive injury due to the false patent marking. We VACATE and REMAND for a calculation of Cyclone USA's liabilities under the amended statute.