K&L Gates Secures Federal Circuit Victory Affirming ITC Ruling in Water Filter Patent Dispute

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP secured an appellate victory on behalf of Vestergaard Frandsen Inc. (d/b/a LifeStraw) in a long-running patent dispute brought by Brita LP involving water filtration technology.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a 2023 decision by the US International Trade Commission (ITC), which had found Brita’s US Patent No. 8,167,141 invalid due to insufficient written description and enablement. The court held that the patent failed to explain how to achieve the claimed filtration properties or support the use of filtration materials beyond carbon block filters, effectively ending Brita’s efforts to block LifeStraw’s product imports.

This precedential ruling marks a definitive conclusion to Brita’s ITC complaint, which also targeted Helen of Troy Ltd. and Kaz USA Inc. Although an administrative law judge initially sided with Brita, the full Commission reversed that decision, citing inadequate disclosure in the patent. The Federal Circuit’s affirmation not only clears the way for LifeStraw and other companies to continue importing their products but also influences how similar patent claims may be evaluated in the future.

K&L Gates partners Jeffrey Gargano and Michael Murphy represented LifeStraw in this matter.

Gargano commented: “We are obviously pleased that the Federal Circuit confirmed the Commission’s decision that Brita’s patent was invalid. We believe the Federal Circuit’s opinion is well reasoned and fully supported by the facts in this case.”

Heather Pratt, General Counsel of LifeStraw said, “This outcome affirms our commitment to developing products that make a difference and to protecting innovation that drives our business.”

K&L Gates’ IP practice boasts more than 215 lawyers and professionals – including more than 100 registered patent lawyers, agents, and technology specialists with technical or advanced science degrees, 35 with doctorates – who devote their practices to helping clients establish, enforce, and leverage their intellectual property rights worldwide. The practice filed more than 5,540 patent applications and 4,400 trademarks worldwide in 2024.