Patent Trial & Appeal Board

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New Decisions Provide Guidance on Discretionary Denials

The Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) has been steadily rolling out new precedent since establishing it Precedential Opinion Panel (POP). Last Friday a few more decisions were added to the growing pile. The newest decisions: two precedential and one informative serve to clarify 325(d) and 314(a) considerations, while the third informative decision warns against excessive and voluminous prior art presentations.
Continue Reading PTAB Continues to Roll Out Precedent

Takings Challenge to IPR Fails

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Cuozzo Speed, there has been speculation that there may be an opportunity to attack AIA trials on different constitutional grounds. Most recently, it was argued that cancellation of an improvidently granted patent constituted a 5th Amendment “taking.”

In Celgene Corporation v. Peter, perhaps not surprisingly, the Federal Circuit held that “IPRs do not differ significantly enough from preexisting PTO mechanisms for reevaluating the validity of issued patents to constitute a Fifth Amendment taking.”

While IPRs do not differ significantly from reexamination in scope, CBM proceedings do. 
Continue Reading Will a Takings Challenge to CBM Proceedings Succeed?

Housekeeping Changes & Controlling “Pile On” Petitions

Tomorrow’s Federal Register will notice a second update to the America Invents Acts (AIA) Trial Practice Guide (here).  As practitioners know, this Guide provides additional guidance to practitioners concerning trial practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). (The first update came in August of 2018…

2015, 2017, 2018, 2019…

The Stronger Patents Act just wont go away. While the bill has been introduced several times over the years, it has never gotten any significant traction. Since its initial introduction, several of the bill’s Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) provisions have been mooted by regulatory changes. What remains would effectively repeal the AIA to the point that the PTAB would no longer be a viable option — a non-starter for everyone but Bio/Pharma and small inventors.

So, what is different now?
Continue Reading Stronger Patents Act – Back Again

Non-precedential Decision Faults Long-Standing PTAB Practice

Securing additional IPR discovery at the Patent Trial & Appeal Board is a challenge. This is because, such discovery is not accorded as a matter of right, but in the interests of justice. And, frequently, such requests are speculative attempts to add unnecessary complexity to an otherwise streamlined proceeding.

Often times, the Board simply denies requests to authorize a motion on additional discovery via teleconference. That is, the call to receive authorization to file the motion also functions as a hearing of sorts on the merits of the requested motion.

Earlier this week, the Federal Circuit faulted the Board’s practice of denying motion practice in this manner, holding that parties have a right to file motions.
Continue Reading Discovery Motion Practice to Become More Commonplace at PTAB

New Precedent Clarifies Previous Uncertainty

Discussing testimony with a witness during a PTAB deposition is a “no-no”….kinda. The Trial Practice Guide (Appendix D) makes clear that counsel may not confer with its witness while under cross-examination. Panels have issued conflicting decisions on whether that prohibition extends to redirect testimony occurring after cross-examination is complete.

In a precedential designation today of a 2014 case, Focal Therapeutics, Inc. v. SenoRx, Inc., Case IPR2014-00116 (PTAB July 21, 2014) (Paper 19), the Board settled that question.
Continue Reading Conferring With Your Witness Prior to PTAB Redirect?

Dodocase May Encourage New NDA Strategies

As discussed a few weeks back, licensors have begun to seek cover from the PTAB via forum selection clauses in their licensing agreements. In a recent district court opinion, this strategy was explored as language of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) between parties pre-litigation.

Left unchecked, the holding in Dodocase could have a chilling effect on pre-suit negotiations as well.
Continue Reading Licensors Attempt to Leverage NDAs to Avert PTAB Review