U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2026

J.R. Simplot Co. v. McCain Foods USA, Inc.

J.R. Simplot Co. v. McCain Foods USA, Inc.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit · Decided February 6, 2026
J.R. Simplot Co. v. McCain Foods USA, Inc.

Opinion

Case: 24-1845 Document: 79 Page: 1 Filed: 02/06/2026

NOTE: This disposition is nonprecedential.

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ______________________ J.R. SIMPLOT CO., Plaintiff-Appellee v. MCCAIN FOODS USA, INC., Defendant-Appellant -------------------------------------------------- MCCAIN FOODS LTD., Plaintiff-Appellant v. J.R. SIMPLOT CO., Defendant-Appellee -------------------------------------------------- J.R. SIMPLOT CO., Third-Party Plaintiff v. ELEA VERTRIEBS- UNDVERMARKTUNGSGESELLSCHAFT, MBH; FOOD PHYSICS LLC, Third-Party Defendants-Appellees ______________________ Case: 24-1845 Document: 79 Page: 2 Filed: 02/06/2026

2 J.R. SIMPLOT CO. v. MCCAIN FOODS USA, INC.

2024-1845 ______________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Idaho in Nos. 1:16-cv-00449-DCN, 1:17-cv- 00350-DCN, Judge David C. Nye. ______________________ Decided: February 6, 2026 ______________________ BRIAN M. BUROKER, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, Washington, DC, argued for J.R. Simplot Co. Also repre- sented by ANTHONY DAVID BRZOZOWSKI, II; DANA M.

HERBERHOLZ, JORDAN STOTT, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Boise, ID. JENNIFER L. SWIZE, Jones Day, Washington, DC, ar- gued for McCain Foods Ltd. and McCain Foods USA, Inc. Also represented by BRENDAN D. DUFFY; DAVID B.

COCHRAN, JOHN CHARLES EVANS, MEREDITH WILKES, Cleveland, OH.

LESLEY MCCALL GROSSBERG, Ice Miller LLP, Philadel- phia, PA, argued for Elea Vertriebs-und-Vermarktung- sgesellschaft, mbH and Food Physics LLC. Also represented by T. EARL LEVERE, Columbus, OH; KENNETH JON SHEEHAN, Washington, DC. ______________________ Before DYK, HUGHES, and STOLL, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM.

The judgment is affirmed on the ground that the as- serted claims (claims 1 and 6 of United States Patent Case: 24-1845 Document: 79 Page: 3 Filed: 02/06/2026

J.R. SIMPLOT CO. v. MCCAIN FOODS USA, INC. 3

No. 6,821,540) are invalid as indefinite under 35 U.S.C. § 112.

AFFIRMED

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.