Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Intellectual Property StrategistKickerFeaturesTopicsLitigationSectionsNewsLJN Newsletters

Courts Shed Light on the Scope of Federal Court Review of Patent Office Decisions Initiating AIA Patent Challenges

By Jose C. Villarreal and Joel C. Boehm
September 02, 2014

Effective September 2012, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) established new ways to challenge the validity of a patent before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). Pub. L. No. 112-29, 125 Stat. 284 (2011). These proceedings include inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review (PGR), and the transitional program for covered business method patents (CBM Review). Such proceedings begin with a petition for review, to which a patent-holder can respond before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) makes an initial decision whether to institute review.

The AIA provides that the PTAB's initial decision on whether to institute proceedings “shall be final and nonappealable.” 35 U.S.C. '314(d) (IPR); '324(e) (PGR and CBM Review). But the precise meaning of this provision has already been disputed. Recent decisions have begun to shed light on the scope of review federal courts have on a PTAB initial determination.

This premium content is locked for LJN Newsletters subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.