Patents Post Grant Blog

Rationale for Lower Standard Gutted?

In 2009, Microsoft was found to have infringed i4i’s 5,787,449 patent (i4i Limited Partnership and Infrastructures for Information Inc v. Microsoft Corp, (E.D. Tx No. 07-CV-113)). The ‘449 Patent allegedly claims certain XML translation features of Microsoft Word. An appeal to the CAFC earlier this year was unsuccessful.

Along the way to the CAFC, Microsoft sought ex parte reexamination of the ‘449 Patent (90/010,347), largely as an afterthought to hedge against a willfulness finding. Not surprisingly, since the request ignored definitions of certain claim terms of the ‘449 Patent specification, the reexamination attempt was unsuccessful (no claim changes) and all claims exited reexamination in July of this year

On August 27th, Microsoft filed a petition for certiorari questioning the lower court’s use of the clear and convincing standard relative to art not before the USPTO during prosecution of the original patent application. At roughly the same time, Microsoft filed a second request for ex parte reexamination of the ‘449 patent (90/011,198). Today the USPTO denied the second request outright, giving Microsoft and their shareholders a bit less to be thankful for this holiday season. (a copy of the denial is not yet available).

With many predicting a decision on the pending SCOTUS cert request to be imminent (i.e., this coming Monday), it seems as though Microsoft may have just had their legs cut out from under them. Read the rest of this entry »

Upward of 70% of Patent Reissue Filings Include a Defective Oath

(click to enlarge)

As most practitioners are well aware, defective oaths in patent reissue are the rule, not the exception. As the chart above demonstrates for patent reissues filed in 2005, such oath problems lead to longer patent reissue pendencies.

With narrowing patent reissue filings constituting the bulk of patent reissue applications at the USPTO, it is not surprising that the impact of defective oaths are more pronounced in this sub-category. For narrowing reissue applications filed in 2005, applications without any oath problems were completed 1.14 years faster (1.74 vs 2.88 years) than those with oath problems.

Surely, both the USPTO and stakeholders share the blame equally for these recurring problems. As demonstrated just yesterday, these issues are rarely resolved prior to appeal. Read the rest of this entry »