Federal Circuit Affirms Despite Claim Construction Error
By Alexa Grillis and Matt Johnson - The Federal Circuit upheld the PTAB’s decision deeming an integrated circuit connector patent unpatentable for obviousness, despite concluding that the Board’s claim construction was erroneous. The Court also rejected a challenge...
Motivation to Modify Prior Art Need Not Be the Same as Challenged Patent
By Kait Crowder and Matt Johnson - Honeywell filed a petition for inter partes review of 3G Licensing’s U.S. Patent No. 7,319,718, which claims a coding scheme for transmitting information in 3G mobile communication systems. The PTAB found none of the challenged...
Petitioner’s Proof of Printed Publication Falls Short
By Mike Lavine - On February 6, 2025, the PTAB denied IPR institution because the Petitioner failed to establish that its key prior art reference qualified as a printed publication under Section 102(b). The PTAB’s decision hinged on whether the “Dammann” reference,...
Federal Circuit Rules That Order Of Steps Sometimes Does Matter
By Simon Maxwell and Carl Kukkonen - Back in May of 2020, European patent-licensing company Sisvel filed a flurry of lawsuits against a dozen tech companies who had allegedly infringed Sisvel’s portfolio of wireless communication and networking patents. A consortium...
PTAB Retains Jurisdiction Of Expired Patents
By Ellen Geyer and Matt Johnson - The Federal Circuit rejected a recent argument that the PTAB does not have inter partes review (IPR) jurisdiction over expired patents. Because even expired patents involve the grant of public rights, the court explained that the...