Tag Archives: patent

Federal Circuit’s Aqua Products Decision Clarifies Burden on IPR Petitioner to Challenge Amended Claims

On October 4, 2017, the Federal Circuit issued a lengthy decision in Aqua Products v. Matal, spanning five opinions and 148 pages, which addressed the proper allocation of the burden of proof when amended claims are offered during inter partes review proceedings (“IPRs”).  Aqua Prods. v. … Continue reading

Posted in Adjudicative instead of examinatorial, Broadest Reasonable Interpretation standard, claim challenges, estoppel from administrative proceeding, Federal Circuit Review of PTAB Proceedings, Motion to Amend, preponderance of evidence, reexamination generally, Settlements in Post-Grant Proceedings, Termination of Post-Grant Proceedings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

PTAB Dismisses Three IPR Petitions Based on Sovereign Immunity

Covidien LP had a license to U.S. Patent 7,062,251, owned by the University of Florida Research Foundation (UFRF, Patent Owner).  UFRF alleged breach of contract by Covidien, and sued Covidien in Florida state court for breach of license.  Covidien counterclaimed … Continue reading

Posted in Adjudicative instead of examinatorial, inter partes review, States rights and sovereign immunity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New PTAB Trial Practice Rules Effective May 2, 2016

On April 1, 2016 the PTO published its final rule on Amendments to the Rules of Practice for Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.  A small correction to these Amendments was published on April 27.  I presented a summary of these … Continue reading

Posted in Amended Rulemaking, inter partes review, Patent Reform, Post Grant Review, PTAB, PTAB Patent Trials | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unified Patents’ Institution Decision Gives Insight to PTAB’s Real Party in Interest Analysis

Those watching decisions from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) have observed a trend where a patent owner challenges an IPR petition based on alleged defects in the petition’s identification of real parties in interest (RPI) to the … Continue reading

Posted in 315(b) One Year Bar, America Invents Act, Correction of Petition After Bar, estoppel, inter partes review, PTAB | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Target Wins Rehearing of IPR Joinder Decision with Expanded Panel

Last fall, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) interpreted the IPR joinder provision, 35 U.S.C. § 315(c), to require joinder requests by a non-party to an ongoing proceeding.  (Target Corp. v. Destination Maternity Corp., IPR2014-00508 and IPR2014-00509.)  Prior to that decision,  the Board … Continue reading

Posted in America Invents Act, inter partes review, IPR Joinder, Joinder of AIA Proceedings, Joinder of Parties Post-petition, Joinder Post AIA, Mandamus Actions in the Federal Circuit, PTAB, PTAB Patent Trials | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In re Cuozzo Speed Technologies: Federal Circuit Affirms Board Finding of Unpatentability in First IPR

The Federal Circuit affirmed the final determination of the Board in the first inter partes review under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA).   Garmin petitioned for IPR of claims 10, 14 and 17 of U.S. Patent No. 6,778,074 owned by Cuozzo … Continue reading

Posted in America Invents Act, Broadest Reasonable Interpretation standard, claim challenges, Claim Construction, Federal Circuit, inter partes review, Mandamus Actions in the Federal Circuit, prior art, PTAB Patent Trials, reexamination generally | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Settlement Effect of PTAB Proceedings and Recent Patent Office Trial Statistics

December 29, 2014 The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) released statistics for AIA Patent Office trials as of Dec. 18, 2014.  Different commentators have recently reported that the institution rate for these proceedings has dropped to about 60-70 percent, depending … Continue reading

Posted in America Invents Act, Future of PTAB Trial Practice, inter partes review, Litigation, petitions practice, Post Grant Review, PTAB, PTAB Patent Trials, Settlements in Post-Grant Proceedings, Termination of Post-Grant Proceedings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Patent Board Denies First Data Corp. IPR Petitions Based on Real Party In Interest and One-Year Bar

October 21, 2014 In 2013, Cardsoft, LLC (Patent Owner) sued First Data Corp. (Petitioner) and First Data Merchant Services Corp. for patent infringement in the Eastern District of Texas, serving its complaint on May 2, 2013.  (Cardsoft (Assignment for the Benefit … Continue reading

Posted in 315(b) One Year Bar, Correction of Petition After Bar, Indemnification, inter partes review, Litigation, PTAB Patent Trials | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Target Corp. Requests Rehearing of Denied IPRs by Expanded PTAB Panel

October 17, 2014 Last month, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) interpreted the IPR joinder provision, 35 U.S.C. § 315(c), to preclude joinder requests by an existing party to an ongoing proceeding.  (Target Corp. v. Destination Maternity Corp., IPR2014-00508 and … Continue reading

Posted in America Invents Act, Future of PTAB Trial Practice, inter partes review, IPR Joinder, Joinder of AIA Proceedings, Joinder of Parties Post-petition, Litigation, Patent Reform, PTAB, PTAB Patent Trials | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Board Proposes Solution for Petitioner if Expert Witness Not Available for Deposition in Patent Office Trial

In current post-grant practice, most petitions are accompanied by an expert declaration to support the assertions made by the petitioner.  If the petitioner successfully obtains institution of a patent office trial (inter partes review, covered business method patent review, or … Continue reading

Posted in covered business methods, Expert Witnesses, inter partes review, Post Grant Review, PTAB, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment