In a move that may make it harder to invalidate—but also potentially easier to limit the scope of—challenged patents, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on May 8 proposed narrowing the interpretation of patent claims during AIA validity trials. In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the USPTO proposes replacing the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) … Continue reading
In Intellectual Ventures II LLC v. Ericsson Inc.,[1] the Federal Circuit considered whether the PTAB’s adoption of a new claim construction in its Final Written Decision constitutes a violation of the parties’ due process. Intellectual Ventures argued that it was denied due process because the construction set forth in the Board’s Final Written Decision was … Continue reading
In SAS Institute, Inc. v. ComplementSoft, LLC, the Federal Circuit criticized the PTAB for changing its claim construction “midstream” and vacated the Board’s finding that, under the newly adopted construction, one of the claims in the Patent Owner’s software patent was valid. Nos. 2015-1346, 2015-1347 (Fed. Cir. Jun. 10, 2016). In its institution decision, the … Continue reading
In two recent cases, the Federal Circuit provided guidance on applying the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) standard for claim construction in IPR proceedings. PPC Broadband Inc. v. Corning Optical Communications RF, LLC, No. 2015-1361, 1366, 1368, 1369 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 22, 2016) (“PPC I”) and PPC Broadband Inc. v. Corning Optical Communications RF, LLC, No. … Continue reading
The Patent Office has published a final rule with amendments to 37 CFR § 42, et seq., governing IPR, CBM, PGR, and derivation proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The new rules take effect Monday, May 2, 2016 and apply to all AIA petitions filed on or after that date and to any ongoing proceeding … Continue reading
In Microsoft Corp. v. Proxyconn, Inc., — F.3d —, 2015 WL 3747257 (Fed. Cir. June 16, 2015), the Federal Circuit once again affirmed that the broadest reasonable interpretation (“BRI”) standard of claim construction applies in IPRs, providing further guidance on applying the standard. It also approved of the Board’s requirement on motions to amend claims … Continue reading
In Jiawei Technology (HK) Ltd. v. Simon N. Richmond, the PTAB denied Petitioner’s Request for Rehearing of a decision not to institute an IPR. IPR2014-00937, Paper 24 (Feb. 6, 2015). Maintaining its decision that the Petitioner failed to properly address a claim limitation that was “critical” to understanding claim scope, the Board held no abuse … Continue reading
In In re Cuozzo, the Federal Circuit held, in a 2-1 opinion, that decisions of the PTAB to institute an IPR are not appealable and confirmed the use of the broadest reasonable interpretation standard for claim construction proceedings in IPR. In re Cuozzo Speed Techs., LLC, No. 2014-1301 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 4, 2015). The Court … Continue reading