SCA Hygiene Products Aktiebolag v. First Quality Products, LLC

SCA Hygiene Products (SCA) (plaintiff) sued First Quality Baby Products (First Quality) (defendant) for patent infringement within the time allowed by the Patent Act, but First Quality argued laches should still bar recovery, contending Section 286 -- which limits damages to the six years before filing -- was not a true statute of limitations because it ran backward from the filing date rather than forward from accrual. The trial court granted First Quality summary judgment on laches grounds, and the appeals court affirmed before the Supreme Court granted certiorari.