MORRISON v. LAKES et al - Page 17




          board despite the fact Morrison had every opportunity to do so.             
          Cf. Revson v. Cinque & Cinque, P.C., 221 F.3d 71, 81-82 (2d Cir.            
          2000) ("It is well-settled that a party's failure to call a                 
          witness may permissibly support an inference that witness's                 
          testimony would have been adverse.  See, e.g., Graves v. United             
          States, 150 U.S. 118, 121, 14 S. Ct. 40, 37 L.Ed. 1021 (1893)               
          ('if a party has it peculiarly within his power to produce                  
          witnesses whose testimony would elucidate the transaction, the              
          fact that he does not do it creates the presumption that the                
          testimony, if produced, would be unfavorable')").  According to             
          Morrison, "the facts presented here are insufficient to raise any           
          inference of *** suppression or concealment" (Paper 51, page 9).            
          Morrison's argument rings hollow, however, because Morrison has             
          not told us where we are to find the evidence which would make              
          out a factual case for overcoming an inference of intent to                 
          suppress or conceal.  Thus, we lack substantial evidence upon               
          which to make findings which Morrison apparently would have us              
          make.                                                                       

                                         c.                                           
               We agree with Morrison that there is no per se rule on                 
          whether a delay of a particular time period is "unreasonable"               
          (Paper 48, page 35).  We can also agree that there is no "smoking           
          gun" that Morrison intended to suppress or conceal (Paper 48,               
          page 35).  However, the 21-month, 11-day period in this case,               
          where no meaningful evidence has been called to our attention of            
          activity leading to the filing of a patent application, raises an           
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