Hist. An 1872 federal statute providing that the practice and procedure in federal district courts (other than in equity and admiralty matters) must conform to the practice and procedure used by the state courts for like cases. • The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (effective in 1938) superseded the Conformity Act.
motion for judgment as a matter of law. A party’s request that the court enter a judgment in its favor before the case is submitted to the jury, or after a contrary jury verdict, because there is no legally sufficient evidentiary basis on which a jury could find for the other party. • Under the
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A matter concerning the merits or critical elements, rather than mere formalities [the party objected because the motion was based on a repealed statute that related to a matter of substance]. Cf. matter of form.
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form, n. 1. The outer shape or structure of something, as distinguished from its substance or matter (courts are generally less concerned about defects in form than defects in substance). 2. Established behavior or procedure, usu. according to custom or rule (the prosecutor followed the established form in her closing argument). 3. A model; a
Conformity Act. Hist. An 1872 federal statute providing that the practice and procedure in federal district courts (other than in equity and admiralty matters) must conform to the practice and procedure used by the state courts for like cases. • The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (effective in 1938) superseded the Conformity Act. “[E]ven where
Equity regards substance and intent， rather than form. 衡平法注重的是实质和意图，而不是形式。 亦写作「Equity regards form and circumstance as of less consequence than subject matter itself.」其拉丁文形式为：aequitas rem ipsam intuetur de forma et circumstantiis minus anxia，意为：不能仅仅因为文字而牺牲当事人的权利，而应当优先关注合同、协议或交易的意图或精神。
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new matter. 1. MATTER. 2. Patents. Additional information in an amended patent application that departs from the original disclosure. • Since the new matter was reduced to practice after the application was filed, it cannot carry the same filing date. Rather, it must be included in a continuation-in-part application. — Also termed disconformity. [Cases: Patents
Patents. One of the five types of patentable statutory subject matter, consisting of com-binations of natural elements whether resulting from chemical union or from mechanical mixture, and whether the substances are gases, fluids, powders, or solids. • This classification includes chemical compounds such as drugs and fuels, physical products such as plastics and particleboard, and
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patentable subject matter. Things that by law can be patented; any machine, process, manufacture, or material composition, or an improvement to such things, that (1) is discovered or invented, (2) is new and useful, and (3) meets the statutory conditions and requirements to qualify for a patent. • Patents may be issued for “any new
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deforce, vb. 1. To keep (lands) from the true owner by means of force. 2. To oust another from possession by means of force. 3. To detain (a creditor’s money) unjustly and forcibly. — deforciant, n. “The character of the action of debt is well illustrated by the form of the writ as given by