Hyatt v. Matal

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ________________________________________ ) GILBERT P. HYATT, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) ) KATHERINE K. VIDAL, ) Civil Action No. 05-2310 ) 09-1864 Under Secretary of Commerce ) 09-1869 for Intellectual Property and ) 09-1872 Director of the United States ) Patent and Trademark Office, ) ) Defendant. ) ________________________________________ ) MEMORANDUM OPINION This opinion concerns the complex principles underlying equitable defenses—when used by and against the government—as well as the strange circumstance of applying the Federal…