On June 1, 2018, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office designated as precedential an opinion in which it issued instructions concerning patent claim amendments in inter partes review (“IPR”) proceedings.  Western Digital v. SPEX Techs., Case No. IPR2018-00082, paper no. 13 (April 25, 2018).  The PTAB also made a specific note of the duty of candor applicable to both patent owners and petitioners.

Read more.

As part of its ongoing efforts to “shape and improve” post-grant trial proceedings under the America Invents Act (AIA), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced on May 8, 2018, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to change the AIA trial proceeding claim-construction standard to the same standard used in district court and International Trade Commission (ITC) proceedings.  83 FR 21221.    

Read more

On April 6, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”) issued an opinion affirming an examiner’s rejection of various patent claims in an inter partes reexamination. Knowles Elec. LLC v. Iancu, case no. 2016-1954.  The United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) had intervened in the appeal to defend the examiner’s rejection.  In its opinion, the CAFC ruled that the PTO had standing to defend the examiner’s rejection even though the petitioner in the inter partes reexamination had abandoned the appeal.
 

On March 23, 2018, a divided panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) found that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) had not sufficiently explained its reasoning in a final written decision invalidating certain patent claims, and reversed the invalidity ruling.  DSS Tech. Mgmt. v. Apple Inc., appeal nos. 2016-2523 and 2016-2524.  One member of the panel (Newman, J.) dissented, both on the merits, and on whether the panel should have ordered remand instead of reversing.

Read more

On March 14, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”) ruled that a patent that discloses a technological species (“a fibre optics bundle”) provides written-description support for claims directed to a technological genus (“a light guide”).  Hologic, Inc. v. Smith & Nephew, Inc., appeal no. 2017-1389.  The opinion presents the inverse of the situation in the Knowles case summarized in last week’s Litigation Weekly.

Read more

On March 13, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) ruled that a party was collaterally estopped to challenge a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) ruling on a claim-construction issue.  The estoppel arose from a previous IPR decision concerning a related patent.  Nestle USA, Inc. v. Steuben Foods, Inc., appeal no. 2017-1193.

Read more

On March 1, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) ruled that a patent that disclosed a technological genus (solder pads) did not provide written-description support for claims to one species within that genus (solder pads configured for connection via a solder reflow process), even though the record showed that the species was known to those of skill in the art at the time of the invention.  Knowles Electronics LLC v. Cirrus Logic, Inc., appeal no. 2016-2010.

Read more

On February 1, 2018, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, faced with a motion to stay proceedings pending resolution of the patent owner’s bankruptcy filing, entered an order requiring further briefing and requiring the parties to report on the bankruptcy court’s view of whether the automatic-stay bankruptcy statute applies to inter partes review (IPR) proceedings.  Twitter, Inc. v. Youtoo Techs., LLC, case no. IPR2017-00829, paper no. 27. 

Read more

On February 2, 2018, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office denied a patent owner’s motion for discovery concerning a petitioner’s identification of the real party in interest in an inter partes review (IPR).  Artesian Home Prods. v. Gutterglove, Inc., No. IPR2018-00015. 

Read more

On December 14, 2017, a panel of Administrative Patent Judges (Judges Scott Daniels, Neil Powell, and Timothy Goodson) of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for the United States Patent and Trademark Office denied the parties’ joint motion to terminate an inter partes review (IPR) proceeding due to settlement.  Rubicon Commc’ns, LP v. Lego A/S, IPR case no. IPR2016-01187.

Read more

On December 13, 2017, a panel of Administrative Patent Judges (Judges Grace Karaffa Obermann, Bart Gerstenblith, and Robert Kinder) of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Petitioner Campbell Soup’s motion for a modified protective order in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings brought against patents owned by Gamon Plus.  Campbell Soup Co. v. Gamon Plus, Inc., IPR case nos. IPR2017-00087, IPR2017-00091, IPR2017-00094.

Read more

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has adopted a new rule, 37 C.F.R. § 42.57, that among other things gives communications with foreign-jurisdiction patent agents the same protection they would be accorded if they were communications with a U.S. attorney.

Read more