Federal Circuit Reluctantly Applies Arthrex Decision
By Mike Lavine and Matt Johnson - On January 31, 2020, the Federal Circuit vacated and remanded a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) final written decision in view of Arthrex, but did so reluctantly because it disagreed with the merits and questioned the remedy of...
PTAB Statistics Through Q1 2020
By Matt Johnson – The institution rate for post-grant challenges in current FY 2020 (Oct. 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019) stands at 55% compared to 63% in the previous fiscal year. While a small sample size (138 instituted, 113 denied), this is a number that we...
PTAB Bar Association Law Journal – Discretionary Denials of IPR Institution
By Jasper Tran, Matthew Chung, Dave Maiorana, and Matt Johnson - On September 12, 2018, the PTAB in NHK Spring Co. v. Intri-Plex Techs., Inc. exercised its discretion under 35 U.S.C. § 314(a) to deny institution of an IPR, despite the petition’s timely filing, due to...
IPR Petitioner Seeks Arthrex Remand Of PTAB Decision Denying Institution
By John Marlott - In view of Arthrex, can an unsuccessful petitioner get a do-over of a PTAB decision denying institution of an IPR? The USPTO says no, and the Federal Circuit has been asked to consider the question in United Fire Protection v. Engineered Corrosion...
Collateral Estoppel Applied by District Court Following IPR on Similar Patents
By Phillip Shelton and Carl Kukkonen - In Think Prod., Inc. v. ACCO Brands Corp., No. 18-CV-07506, 2019 WL 6609427, at *1 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 5, 2019), the District Court addressed whether the plaintiff patent ower was collaterally estopped from arguing validity in view...