But in December, the Federal Circuit ruled that defendants could be held responsible for up to $500 per offense.

但在12月，联邦巡回上诉法院判决被告可能因每次违法行为被罚500美元。

But ratcheted back the ruling of the Federal Circuit, possibly making business-method patents easier to receive than they were before.

但它将联邦巡回上诉法院的判决稍作缓和，使得商业方法专利或许比以前更容易取得授权。

The shift is the result of a big ruling made by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which on Tuesday upheld Raymond E.

这一转变源于美国联邦巡回上诉法院周二作出的一个判决，该判决认定Raymond E.

A separate ruling by the Federal Circuit in December raised the stakes in such cases, potentially exposing product makers to huge liabilities.

12月时联邦巡回上诉法院所作的另一个判决提升了此类案件的风险，它可能会令生产商负上巨大的法律责任。

“It’s really back to the drawing board for the Federal Circuit,” says Bednarek. “The lower courts are really going to have to follow up on this.”

“对联邦巡回上诉法院而言还是得从头做起，”Bednarek说，“下级法院真的必将紧紧跟随。”