When the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was created in 1982, commentators initially were enthusiastic about the court and its unique status as a specialized court. Today, however, scholars are increasingly worried that the creation of this specialized court for patent appeals has resulted in excessive formalism, inaccurate patent law, and doctrinal rigidity. Commentators often base their criticisms on the lack of “percolation” in patent law caused by having a single specialized appellate court hearing all patent appeals. Their proposed solution is to increase the judicial voices heard in patent law, e.g., by splitting patent jurisdiction between the Federal Circuit and one or more regional circuits or by abolishing the Federal Circuit altogether and returning patent appeals to the regional circuits. I argue that a more effective, efficient, and realistic reform proposal would focus on fostering “cross-pollination” in Federal Circuit jurisprudence by increasing the exposure of Federal Circuit judges to broader notions of American legal doctrine such that the Congress’s objectives in creating the Federal Circuit (efficient, uniform, and accurate patent law) can be optimized. I put forth a two-pronged proposal that would tweak inter-circuit “sitting by designation” practices so as to simultaneously: (1) increase the exposure of Federal Circuit judges to more generalist legal issues and (2) enable regional circuit judges to infuse their generalist approach into patent appellate decision-making.

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通过增加交叉投票来改善联邦巡回学说

1982年成立美国联邦巡回上诉法院时，评论员最初对法院及其作为专门法院的独特地位充满热情。但是，今天，学者们越来越担心，设立这个专门的专利上诉法院会导致过度的形式主义，不正确的专利法和教条式的僵化。评论员的批评通常基于专利法缺乏“渗透”，这是因为只有一个专门的上诉法院审理所有专利上诉。他们提出的解决方案是增加专利法中听到的司法声音，例如，通过在联邦巡回法院和一个或多个地区巡回法院之间分割专利管辖权，或者完全废除联邦巡回法院并将专利上诉退还给地区巡回法院。我认为更有效 高效，切合实际的改革建议将通过增加联邦巡回法官对美国法律理论的更广泛概念的曝光度，从而促进联邦巡回法学中的“异花授粉”，从而使国会建立联邦巡回法院的目标（有效，统一和准确的专利法）可以进行优化。我提出了两方面的建议，该建议将调整巡回法院的“按指定就座”做法，以便同时进行：（1）增加联邦巡回法院法官对更多一般性法律问题的了解；（2）使区域巡回法院法官能够参与进来他们在专利上诉决策中的通才做法。现实的改革建议将通过增加联邦巡回法官对美国法律学说的广泛理解，从而使国会制定联邦巡回法院的目标（有效，统一和准确的专利），着重于促进联邦巡回法学中的“异花授粉”。法）可以优化。我提出了两方面的建议，该建议将调整巡回法院的“按指定就座”做法，以便同时进行：（1）增加联邦巡回法院法官对更多一般性法律问题的了解；（2）使区域巡回法院法官能够参与进来他们在专利上诉决策中的通才做法。现实的改革建议将通过增加联邦巡回法官对美国法律学说的广泛理解，从而使国会制定联邦巡回法院的目标（有效，统一和准确的专利），着重于促进联邦巡回法学中的“异花授粉”。法）可以优化。我提出了两方面的建议，该建议将调整巡回法院的“按指定就座”做法，以便同时进行：（1）增加联邦巡回法院法官对更多一般性法律问题的了解；（2）使区域巡回法院法官能够参与进来他们在专利上诉决策中的通才做法。