Heathcote Holdings Corp., Inc. v. Suncast Corp., No. 11 C 1010, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Jul. 25, 2012) (Zagel, J.).

Judge Zagel held that the America Invents Act (“AIA”) provisions limiting false patent marking standing to persons that suffered a competitive injury, even in ongoing cases, was not an unconstitutional taking.  Defendant allegedly marked several different snow shovel models with stickers indicating that the shovels were covered by expired design and utility patents the allegedly false marking.  After the filing of the suit, the AIA retroactively required that the plaintiff have suffered a competitive injury in order to have standing to maintain its false marking suit.  Plaintiff Heathcote acknowledged that it lacked standing pursuant to the new standard, but argued that the retroactive elimination of its claim was an unconstitutional taking.  

The Court held, citing to several decisions in other districts, that Congress was free to create qui tam actions and free to remove them.  Congress had the authority to invite private citizens to enforce its laws and the authority to remove that right when Congress decided that the volume of cases was too great, for whatever reason.