Statistics Demonstrate Robust Demand for PTAB Patent Challenge Proceedings
Last week, the USPTO issued the official tallies/progress statistics for Inter Partes Review (IPR), Post Grant Review (PGR) and the Covered Business Method (CBM) proceedings. As of November 7, 2013 the Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) has received 627 IPR petitions and 78 CBM petitions, 709 petitions in total. (While the Office is showing one PGR as being filed, this was an incorrectly filed IPR). (Click to Enlarge)
Not surprisingly, the vast majority of IPR petitions are in the predictable arts, significant concentrations being in consumer electronics and mobile communication technologies.
Although difficult to gauge from the numbers due to the lag in filing of preliminary responses across yearly boundaries, it seems that preliminary responses are pursued in roughly 75% of proceedings.
Based upon early numbers, the settlement rate appears to be leveling out at around 25%. As more proceedings mature toward written decision the rate may increase. Of course, it is within the discretion of the PTAB to continue to written decision for late stage settlements. (See CBM2012-00007)