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IPR Institution Despite Arbitration Agreement Is Not Appealable

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Appeals, Inter Partes Review, IPR, Trial Procedures
Over a thorough dissent by Judge O’Malley, the Federal Circuit determined it lacked jurisdiction to review the Board’s decision to institute IPR despite an arbitration agreement between the parties. In re Maxpower Semiconductor, Inc., 2021-146, 2021-1950, 2021-1951, 2021-1952, 2021-1953, 2021 WL 4130639 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 8, 2021).… Continue Reading

An Invalidated Patent Still Qualifies As 102(e) Art

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Appeals, Sections 102/103
On May 28, 2021, the Federal Circuit found obvious the claims of a patent directed to telepharmacy, describing a process allowing a pharmacist to remotely supervise and approve the work of non-pharmacists in filling drug orders. The court reversed the PTAB’s decision to the contrary. Becton Dickinson and Co. v. Baxter Corp. Englewood, 998 F.3d … Continue Reading

PTAB Determination on One-Year Time Bar Cannot be Appealed

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Appeals, Inter Partes Review, IPR, Trial Procedures
On April 20, 2020, the Supreme Court held that PTAB decisions instituting IPR are final and non-appealable and that the language of 35 U.S.C. § 314(d) “indicates that a party generally cannot contend on appeal that the agency should have refused “to institute an inter partes review.”  Thryv Inc. v. Click-To-Call Technologies LP, case number … Continue Reading

Game Not Over – No Estoppel Where Service Is Deemed Insufficient

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Estoppel, Inter Partes Review, IPR, Trial Procedures
In a case involving online gaming, the Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB’s decision that 35 U.S.C. § 315(b) did not bar instituting an IPR where the patent owner failed to preserve its arguments that service was perfected. Game and Technology Co., Ltd. v. Wargaming Group Limited, ___ F.3d __, 2019 WL 6121449 (Fed. Cir. Nov. … Continue Reading

A Reference is Publicly Accessible if a Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art Could Access the Reference

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Inter Partes Review, IPR, Sections 102/103, Trial Procedures
In a recent decision vacating the PTAB’s finding that a draft standard for video coding emailed to a listserv was not publicly accessible, the Federal Circuit again corrected the PTAB’s application of the legal standard to determine the public accessibility of prior art. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. v. Infobridge Pte. Ltd., case no. 2018-2007, 2018-2012, … Continue Reading

PTAB Must Consider All Grounds Raised in an Instituted Petition

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Inter Partes Review, Trial Procedures
In AC Technologies S.A. v. Amazon.com, the Federal Circuit confirmed the PTO’s interpretation of SAS Institute, Inc. v. Iancu, 138 S.Ct. 1348, 1355 (2018) (discussed in greater detail here) requiring that the PTAB address each ground of invalidity raised in an instituted petition in its final written decision. 912 F.3d 1358 (Fed. Cir. 2019).… Continue Reading

Newly Appointed Chief Judge Scott Boalick Addresses PTAB Bar Association

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Inter Partes Review, Trial Procedures
Addressing the PTAB Bar Association Conference in its opening session, newly appointed Chief Judge Scott Boalick explained that his goal as Chief Judge is to bring stability to the board and increase predictability. He wants all parties coming to the Board to feel that they have gotten a fair shake and that the procedures are … Continue Reading

IPR Estoppel Does Not Apply to ITC Investigative Staff

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Estoppel, Inter Partes Review, IPR
Judge Cheney of the United States International Trade Commission held that ITC Investigative Staff are not estopped from asserting invalidity of a patent based upon prior art that was previously asserted by a respondent in an IPR. See In the Matter of Certain Magnetic Tape Cartridges and Components Thereof, Inv. No. 337-TA-1058 at *106-107. While … Continue Reading

One Year Time Bar Runs from Date of Service, Regardless of Whether Suit is Dismissed

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Inter Partes Review, IPR, Trial Procedures
Update: The Supreme Court issued a decision on April 20, 2020  holding that the patent statute (35 U.S.C. § 314(d)) bars judicial review of a PTAB decision of whether an inter partes review petition is time-barred pursuant to 35 USC 315(b). As stated by the Court, the PTAB’s “application of §315(b)’s time limit, we hold, is … Continue Reading

PTAB Failed to Properly Apply Test for Printed Publication

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Inter Partes Review, Trial Procedures
The Federal Circuit vacated and remanded the PTAB’s decision that a video demonstration and slides distributed by Petitioner Medtronic at three industry meetings and conferences were not publicly accessible and, thus, were not “printed publications.” Medtronic, Inc. v. Barry, Case no. 17-1169, 2018 WL 2769092 (Fed. Cir. June 11, 2018). Recent Board decisions have set … Continue Reading

IPR and Estoppel after SAS Institute

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Estoppel, Inter Partes Review, Post Grant Review, Trial Procedures
The Supreme Court held on April 24, 2018 that if the Patent Office institutes and inter partes review (IPR) proceeding, it must issue a final written decision with respect to the patentability of every patent claim challenged by the petitioner. SAS Institute, Inc. v. Iancu, (discussed in greater detail here). Within days, the Patent Office … Continue Reading

The Supreme Court Finds IPR Proceedings Constitutional

By Thomas L. Duston and Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Inter Partes Review, IPR
Inter partes review (IPR) is a procedure that allows a party to challenge the validity of an issued patent based on prior art patents or printed publications. IPRs first became available in 2013 following passage of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. Some have questioned whether this post-grant review of patent validity is constitutional. Today, the … Continue Reading

PTAB says 58% of Patents Survive Post-grant Proceedings Unchanged

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in CBM, Inter Partes Review, IPR, Post Grant Review, Trial Procedures
On October 24, 2017, the PTAB held its inaugural “Chat with the Chief” webinar. The main topic of the webinar was to discuss multiple petitions filed against the same patent. The PTAB sought to address concerns that have been raised by patent owners that challengers just keep filing petitions until something sticks, and that petitioners … Continue Reading

Intuitive to Use Versus Use of an Element for its Intended Purpose – Is There a Difference?

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Appeals, Sections 102/103, Trial Procedures
Is there a difference between saying that it would be intuitive to use the features of one prior art reference in combination with another, versus saying that such a combination merely uses a prior art element for its established function? According to two recent decisions, the Federal Circuit apparently thinks so. In In re: Van … Continue Reading

To Antedate, Must an Inventor Prove “Continuous Reasonable Diligence” or “Reasonably Continuous Diligence”?

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Trial Procedures
A split panel of the Federal Circuit held that the PTAB applied a standard that was too exacting when it required an inventor to prove the “continuous exercise of reasonable diligence” to antedate a prior art reference. Rather, the PTAB should have applied the rule of reason to determine if the inventor proved that there … Continue Reading

Supreme Court Declines to Weigh in on AIA Issues

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in Appeals, Trial Procedures
The Supreme Court recently issued orders (Oct. 3 and Oct. 11) denying several petitions for certiorari challenging aspects of AIA trials. As we previously reported, two of those petitions challenged the constitutionality of AIA trials and the Patent Office’s authority to cancel patent rights between private parties. Cooper v. Lee, __ S.Ct. __, 2016 WL … Continue Reading

ChIPs Conference Coverage

By Julianne M. Hartzell on Posted in IPR, PTAB
I had the opportunity to attend the ChIPs (Chiefs of Intellectual Property) conference in Washington DC this week and thought that several of the panels that I attended would be of interest to the PTABWatch readership.  The organization is focused on the advancement of women in tech, law, and policy and enjoys strong participation from … Continue Reading
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