In HIP, Inc. v. Hormel Foods Corporation (May 5, 2023), Judges Lourie, Clevenger and Taranto of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit addressed a claim of joint ownership and – in a unanimous precedential decision – reaffirmed the framework for determining the degree of contribution that an individual must make in order to qualify as an inventor.
United States patent no. 9,980,498 (Hybrid Bacon Cooking System) is owned by Hormel and relates to methods of precooking bacon and other pieces of meat that improve the flavor and overall quality. Independent claim 5 of the ’498 patent provides the following: