Case Explained: SOCKET SOLUTIONS, LLC v. IMPORT GLOBAL, LLC

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Filed: 2026-08-04 The federal-circuit vacated the district court’s grant of a preliminary injunction against Import Global, LLC for alleged infringement of U.S. Patent No. 9,509,080 and remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. The court held that the district court abused its discretion by relying on an incorrect claim construction in its likelihood of success analysis. Specifically, the Federal Circuit determined that the district court erred in construing the term “backplate” to include a spatial reference requirement relative to the frontplate or wall outlet; instead, the court construed “backplate” as the component forming the cover with the frontplate such that the maximum thickness of the cover is the distance between them at the central portion. Additionally, the court held that the district court improperly construed the term “pin” as a means-plus-function term under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f); because “pin” has a reasonably well-understood meaning in the art and was not defined by function alone, it is not subject to § 112(f) construction. The court also noted that the district court erred to the extent it relied on a presumption of irreparable harm, which was abolished for patent cases following *eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C.*, and instructed that any further analysis of irreparable harm must not rely on such a presumption. On remand, the district court is required to re-evaluate the likelihood of success based on the corrected claim constructions. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.