Mallinckrodt, Inc. v. Medipart, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
976 F.2d 700 (1992)
Mallinckrodt (plaintiff) manufactured and sold hospitals a pulmonary-disease treatment device labeled 'Single Use Only' with biohazard disposal instructions, but some hospitals instead sent used devices to Medipart (defendant), which had them sterilized by a third party, then reassembled and shipped them back to hospitals for reuse. Mallinckrodt sued for patent infringement and inducement of infringement based on the single-use restriction's violation; Medipart moved for summary judgment arguing the restriction was unenforceable patent misuse, and the district court agreed as a matter of law, prompting Mallinckrodt's appeal.
Whether a restriction on the use of a patent by a licensee is valid and enforceable if the restriction does not violate some other applicable law or policy.