[dredmorbius]

Exceptions to patent rights?

I'm more familiar with copyright statute, but I still have no awareness of "fair use" exemptions to patent rights.

There are proposals for such a thing. At present, they're just that. http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2005/03/index.html

[humdumb]

Check out the Merck v Integra case on the page you linked to.

That was what I was thinking of. Section 271. Subsection (e) and maybe another one or two.