Inter Partes Review (IPR)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Inter Partes Review (IPR) Inter Partes Review (IPR) 1 Agenda o AIA and PTAB o Inter Partes Reexamination o Inter Partes Review (IPR) o Difference between IPR and Inter Partes Reexamination o Procedure o Motions o Estoppels o Who may petition o Time of filing o Fee o Content of petition o Service of petition 2 All content is proprietary and confidential Agenda o Preliminary response to petition o Instituting Inter Partes Review o Patent owner response o Amendment of the patent o Multiple proceedings and Joinder o Filing of supplemental information. o Sanctioning o Estoppels after IPR o Seeking relief o Discoveries o Confidentiality o Statistics 3 All content is proprietary and confidential AIA and PTAB • The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) is an administrative law body of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) which decides issues of patentability. It was formed on September 16, 2012 as one part of the America Invents Act. • The PTAB deals with IPR, PGR, CBM and Derivation Proceedings 4 All content is proprietary and confidential Inter Partes Reexamination • Prior to September 16, 2012, a party interested in challenging the validity of a patent for want of novelty and non-obviousness could file a request for inter partes reexamination. That request, if granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), provided the party with a voice during subsequent review of the patent by the USPTO. Many parties used inter partes reexamination when confronted with a lawsuit for patent infringement to provide for two potential bites at the apple; one through the courts and a second through the USPTO. 5 All content is proprietary and confidential Inter Partes Review (IPR) • Inter partes reexamination is no longer available (last day, Sept. 15, 2012) at the USPTO. Instead, a challenger may now seek inter partes review (IPR), which is applicable to all issued patents. IPR may be requested any time that is nine months after the patent has issued or after post grant review (PGR). The process must be concluded by the USPTO within eighteen months from the institution of the review (it should be concluded in a year or less, but the USPTO may extend this deadline up to eighteen months for discretionary reasons). 6 All content is proprietary and confidential Difference between IPR and Inter Partes Reexamination • Similar to inter partes reexamination, IPR only involves determinations of novelty and non-obviousness of a patent in light of prior patents, published patent applications and other printed publications. This leaves out patent invalidity due to a prior commercial sale, prior public use, and other reasons. • Unlike inter partes reexamination, IPR is conducted in front of three administrative law judges instead of a single patent examiner. These three administrative law judges are members of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), which replaced the old Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) within the USPTO. In the old system of inter partes reexamination, an appeal of an adverse decision by a patent examiner was handled by the BPAI, followed by an appeal to a federal court (usually to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit). Consequently, IPR streamlines the patent review process for any appeal of an adverse decision directly to the federal court system. The published rules governing IPR provide for discovery and filing of motions with the PTAB on various matters - something absent during inter partes reexamination. 7 All content is proprietary and confidential Procedure 8 All content is proprietary and confidential Estoppels • IPR also carries with it certain estoppel provisions. For example, if the party challenging the patent loses its bid to have a claim cancelled, then that party is barred from seeking review of that claim before the USPTO at any later time using the same evidence or evidence that the party should have known about. Likewise, if the party challenging the patent loses its bid to have a claim cancelled, then that party is barred from seeking review of that claim by a court at any later time using the same evidence or evidence that the party should have known about. But a party may continue to challenge the patent for want of novelty and non-obviousness based upon a commercial sale, a public use, for example. 9 All content is proprietary and confidential Who may petition • A person who is not the owner of a patent may file with the Office a petition to institute an inter partes review of the patent unless: • (a) Before the date on which the petition for review is filed, the petitioner or real party- in-interest filed a civil action challenging the validity of a claim of the patent; • (b) The petition requesting the proceeding is filed more than one year after the date on which the petitioner, the petitioner's real party-in-interest, or a privy of the petitioner is served with a complaint alleging infringement of the patent; or • (c) The petitioner, the petitioner's real party-in-interest, or a privy of the petitioner is estopped from challenging the claims on the grounds identified in the petition. 10 All content is proprietary and confidential Time of filing • (a) A petition for inter partes review of a patent must be filed after the later of the following dates, where applicable: • (1) If the patent is a patent described in section 3(n)(1) of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, the date that is nine months after the date of the grant of the patent; • (2) If a post-grant review is instituted as set forth in subpart C of this part, the date of the termination of such post-grant review. • (b) The Director may impose a limit on the number of inter partes reviews that may be instituted during each of the first four one-year periods in which the amendment made to chapter 31 of title 35, United States Code, is in effect by providing notice in the Office's Official Gazette or Federal Register. Petitions filed after an established limit has been reached will be deemed untimely. 11 All content is proprietary and confidential Fee • The AIA requires the Director to set the fee for a post grant review in such amounts as the Director determines to be reasonable, considering the aggregate costs of the review. For petitions filed prior to March 19, 2013, the fee for filing a petition challenging the patentability of up to 20 claims is $27,200. For each additional claim challenged, there is a fee of $600.00. For petitions filed on or after March 19, 2013, the request fee is $9,000 plus a fee of $200.00 for each claim over 20, and the post-institution fee is $14,000 plus a fee of $400.00 for each claim over 15. 12 All content is proprietary and confidential Content of petition • Grounds for standing. The petitioner must certify that the patent for which review is sought is available for inter partes review and that the petitioner is not barred or estopped from requesting an inter partes review challenging the patent claims on the grounds identified in the petition. • Identification of challenge. Provide a statement of the precise relief requested for each claim challenged • The claim • The specific statutory grounds under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 on which the challenge to the claim is based and the patents or printed publications relied upon for each ground 13 All content is proprietary and confidential Content of petition • How the challenged claim is to be construed. Where the claim to be construed contains a means-plus-function or step-plus-function limitation as permitted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) • How the construed claim is unpatentable under the statutory grounds identified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section. The petition must specify where each element of the claim is found in the prior art patents or printed publications relied upon • The exhibit number of the supporting evidence relied upon to support the challenge and the relevance of the evidence to the challenge raised, including identifying specific portions of the evidence that support the challenge • A motion may be filed that seeks to correct a clerical or typographical mistake in the petition. The grant of such a motion does not change the filing date of the petition. 14 All content is proprietary and confidential Service of petition • a) The petition and supporting evidence must be served on the patent owner at the correspondence address of record for the subject patent. The petitioner may additionally serve the petition and supporting evidence on the patent owner at any other address known to the petitioner as likely to effect service. • (b) Upon agreement of the parties, service may be made electronically. Service may be by Priority Mail Express® or by means at least as fast and reliable as Priority Mail Express®. 15 All content is proprietary and confidential Preliminary response to petition • (a) The patent owner may file a preliminary response to the petition. The response is limited to setting forth the reasons why no inter partes review should be instituted under 35 U.S.C. 314 and can include supporting evidence. The preliminary response is subject to the word count under §42.24. • (b) Due date. The preliminary response must be filed no later than three months after the date of a notice indicating that the request to institute an inter partes review has been granted a filing date. A patent owner may expedite the proceeding by filing an election to waive the patent owner preliminary response. • (d) No amendment. The preliminary response shall not include any amendment.
Recommended publications
  • Validity and Constitutionality of Inter Parte Reviews Before the U.S. Supreme Court
    Eastern Kentucky University Encompass Online Theses and Dissertations Student Scholarship 2018 Validity and Constitutionality of Inter Parte Reviews Before the U.S. Supreme Court Helen Kathryn Emmons Kelly Eastern Kentucky University Follow this and additional works at: https://encompass.eku.edu/etd Part of the Intellectual Property Law Commons, and the Public Administration Commons Recommended Citation Emmons Kelly, Helen Kathryn, "Validity and Constitutionality of Inter Parte Reviews Before the U.S. Supreme Court" (2018). Online Theses and Dissertations. 564. https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/564 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Encompass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Online Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Encompass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VALIDITY AND CONSTIUTIONALITY OF INTER PARTE REVIEWS BEFORE THE U.S. SUPREME COURT BY HELEN KATHRYN EMMONS KELLY Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Eastern Kentucky University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTERS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 2018 © Copyright by HELEN KATHRYN EMMONS KELLY 2018 All Rights Reserved. ii ABSTRACT For 400 years, courts have adjudicated disputes between private parties about the validity of patents. Inventors apply for patents to an administrative agency. Patent examiners review the application to determine whether or not an idea is valid to have a patent issued. Patent examiners are people and sometimes errors are made. An administrative agency must have an administrative avenue to review a potential error. Six years ago, Congress created a review with the implementation of inter parte reviews.
    [Show full text]
  • In the United States District Court for the District of Kansas
    Case 6:17-cv-01217-EFM-ADM Document 37 Filed 02/13/19 Page 1 of 8 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF KANSAS LOGANTREE LP, Plaintiff, vs. Case No. 17-1217-EFM-KGS GARMIN INTERNATIONAL, INC. and GARMIN USA, INC., Defendants. MEMORANDUM AND ORDER Defendants Garmin International, Inc., and Garmin USA, Inc. (collectively “Garmin”) move this Court for a stay pending inter partes review (“IPR”) of the patent in suit. In addition, Garmin moves the Court for an intra-district transfer for trial to Kanas City, Kansas. As explained below, the Court grants Garmin’s motion to stay the case until the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) issues its decisions regarding Garmin’s IPRs. Furthermore, because the PTAB’s decision could simplify the issues in the case such that Plaintiff LoganTree LP no longer has a claim for infringement, the Court denies Garmin’s motion for intra-district transfer for trial without prejudice. I. Factual and Procedural Background Plaintiff LoganTree LP filed this patent infringement suit on August 23, 2017, alleging that Garmin’s accelerometer-based activity trackers infringe its U.S. Patent No. 6,059,576 (the Case 6:17-cv-01217-EFM-ADM Document 37 Filed 02/13/19 Page 2 of 8 ‘576 Patent). In February 2018, Garmin filed two petitions for IPR with the PTAB covering 52 of the 185 claims of the ‘576 Patent. LoganTree did not file a Patent Owner Preliminary Response, and on August 30, 2018, the PTAB instituted the IPRs on all grounds. The PTAB is expected to complete the proceedings and issue its final decisions by August 30, 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • Virnetx Inc. V. the Mangrove Partners Master Fund
    NOTE: This disposition is nonprecedential. United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ______________________ VIRNETX INC., Appellant v. THE MANGROVE PARTNERS MASTER FUND, LTD., APPLE INC., Appellees ______________________ 2017-1368 ______________________ Appeal from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Patent Trial and Appeal Board in No. IPR2015- 01046. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIRNETX INC., Appellant v. THE MANGROVE PARTNERS MASTER FUND, LTD., APPLE INC., BLACK SWAMP IP, LLC, Appellees ______________________ 2017-1383 2 VIRNETX INC. v. THE MANGROVE PARTNERS ______________________ Appeal from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Patent Trial and Appeal Board in No. IPR2015- 01047. ______________________ Decided: July 8, 2019 ______________________ NAVEEN MODI, Paul Hastings LLP, Washington, DC, argued for appellant. Also represented by STEPHEN BLAKE KINNAIRD, JOSEPH PALYS, IGOR VICTOR TIMOFEYEV, MICHAEL WOLFE, DANIEL ZEILBERGER. MARK CHRISTOPHER FLEMING, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Boston, MA, argued for all appellees. Appellee Apple Inc. also represented by WILLIAM F. LEE, LAUREN B. FLETCHER, DOMINIC E. MASSA; THOMAS GREGORY SPRANKLING, Palo Alto, CA; BRITTANY BLUEITT AMADI, Washington, DC. JAMES T. BAILEY, Law Office of James T. Bailey, New York, NY, for appellee Mangrove Partners Master Fund, Ltd. AMEDEO F. FERRARO, Martin & Ferraro, LLP, Los An- geles, CA, for appellee Black Swamp IP, LLC. Also repre- sented by WESLEY MEINERDING, Hartville, OH. NANCY JO LINCK, Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C., Washington, DC, for amici curiae Biotechnology In- novation Organization, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Amicus curiae Biotechnology Innovation Organization also represented by MELISSA A. BRAND, HANSJORG SAUER, Biotechnology Innovation Or- ganization, Washington, DC. Amicus curiae Pharmaceuti- cal Research and Manufacturers of America also VIRNETX INC.
    [Show full text]
  • Latest Update on USPTO Inter Partes Review Proceedings
    Latest Update on USPTO Inter Partes Review Proceedings RACHEL CLARK HUGHEY n September 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) was signed into law.1 In addition to changing priority laws from first-to-invent to first-inventor- to-file,2 the AIA also introduced new post-grant proceedings, administrative adjudications of patentability designed to be more trial-like than examinational.3 IIncluded in the new post-grant proceedings are inter partes review (IPR), covered business method review (CBM), and post-grant review (PGR). AIA proceedings differ from district court proceedings both in Statistics terms of procedure and standards of proof. For example, AIA defined PTAB Statistics the petitioner’s burden of evidentiary proof as “by a preponderance As of July 31, 2017, 6,712 IPR, 524 CBM, and 70 PGR petitions of the evidence.”4 This differs from the “clear and convincing evi- had been filed with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).6 dence” burden of proof that exists in the district courts.5 For these More than half of those petitions were filed in the electrical/com- and other reasons, there is the perception that patents are easier puter area (60 percent), with 21 percent the mechanical/business to invalidate in these proceedings than in the district courts (likely method space.7 The remainders were filed in bio/pharma (11 true), and accused infringers have flocked to the United States Pat- percent), chemical (7 percent), and design (1 percent).8 Around ent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to challenge patents, primarily in 73 percent of the petitions filed in the business methods space are IPR proceedings.
    [Show full text]
  • Oil States Energy Services, LLC V. Greene's Energy
    (Slip Opinion) OCTOBER TERM, 2017 1 Syllabus NOTE: Where it is feasible, a syllabus (headnote) will be released, as is being done in connection with this case, at the time the opinion is issued. The syllabus constitutes no part of the opinion of the Court but has been prepared by the Reporter of Decisions for the convenience of the reader. See United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co., 200 U. S. 321, 337. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Syllabus OIL STATES ENERGY SERVICES, LLC v. GREENE’S ENERGY GROUP, LLC, ET AL. CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT No. 16–712. Argued November 27, 2017—Decided April 24, 2018 Inter partes review authorizes the United States Patent and Trade- mark Office (PTO) to reconsider and cancel an already-issued patent claim in limited circumstances. See 35 U. S. C. §§311–319. Any per- son who is not the owner of the patent may petition for review. §311(a). If review is instituted, the process entitles the petitioner and the patent owner to conduct certain discovery, §316(a)(5); to file affidavits, declarations, and written memoranda, §316(a)(8); and to receive an oral hearing before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, §316(a)(10). A final decision by the Board is subject to Federal Cir- cuit review. §§318, 319. Petitioner Oil States Energy Services, LLC, obtained a patent re- lating to technology for protecting wellhead equipment used in hy- draulic fracturing. It sued respondent Greene’s Energy Group, LLC, in Federal District Court for infringement.
    [Show full text]
  • Claimed by the Critics of Inter Partes Review Are Features of Patent Law Created by Congress
    No. 16-712 IN THE Supreme Court of the United States OIL STATES ENERGY SERVICES, LLC, Petitioner, v. GREENE’S ENERGY GROUP, LLC, et al., Respondents. ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES CouRT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRcuIT BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE PROFESSOR LEE A. HOLLAAR IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS WILLIAM R. HUBBARD Counsel of Record WOMBLE CARLYLE SANDriDGE & RicE, LLP 1200 Nineteenth Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 857-4508 [email protected] Counsel for Amicus Curiae 276682 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................... 1 TABLE OF CITED AUTHORITIES ..................................... 3 STATEMENT OF INTEREST OF AMICUS CURIAE ......... 7 SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ..................................... 8 ARGUMENT ....................................................................... 10 I. The question on which certiorari was granted is misleading. ....................................................................... 10 II. Patent rights inherently contain the same limitations Petitioner contends conflict with patent protection. ......... 15 a. Congress set forth a patentee’s rights in § 261, and they are subject to the other provisions of Title 35. ..... 15 b. Title 35 establishes cancellation through administrative proceedings with review by Article III courts. ........................................................................... 16 c. Congress can provide that patents issue with administrative claw-back provisions. ........................... 21 d. Patentees
    [Show full text]
  • Checks and Balances in the Inter Partes Review Statute
    Portfolio Media. Inc. | 111 West 19th Street, 5th Floor | New York, NY 10011 | www.law360.com Phone: +1 646 783 7100 | Fax: +1 646 783 7161 | [email protected] Checks And Balances In The Inter Partes Review Statute Law360, New York (April 6, 2016, 10:31 AM ET) -- The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act amended United States patent law to allow parties to challenge the validity of issued patents through new administrative procedures, including the very popular inter partes review.[1] An IPR is a streamlined proceeding in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in which the challenger files a petition setting forth grounds on which one or more claims of the patent is allegedly invalid, and — within approximately six months — the PTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board determines whether to institute a trial on any of the requested claims. If a trial is instituted, a final decision on the patentability of the instituted claims issues within one year. During the trial process, discovery is typically limited to the cross- Thomas Makin examination of declarants, the mandatory disclosure of evidence relied upon by a party, and the mandatory disclosure of evidence known to a party to be inconsistent with its positions. The new administrative procedures, including IPR, post-grant review and covered business method patent review, were intended to provide “quick and cost effective alternatives to litigation.”[2] IPR decisions largely have favored petitioners, making IPR a powerful weapon in any accused patent infringer’s arsenal. As of March 3, 2016,
    [Show full text]
  • VIRNETX INC., Petitioner
    Case: 16-119 Document: 31 Page: 1 Filed: 03/17/2016 No. 2016-119 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT _______________ IN RE VIRNETX INC., Petitioner. _______________ On Petition for a Writ of Mandamus to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Patent Trial and Appeal Board in Nos. IPR2015-01046 & IPR2015-01047. _______________ REPLY IN SUPPORT OF PETITION FOR A WRIT OF MANDAMUS _______________ Naveen Modi Joseph E. Palys Igor V. Timofeyev PAUL HASTINGS LLP 875 15th St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 551-1700 March 17, 2016 Counsel for Petitioner VirnetX Inc. Case: 16-119 Document: 31 Page: 2 Filed: 03/17/2016 CERTIFICATE OF INTEREST Pursuant to Federal Circuit Rule 47.4, counsel of record for Petitioner VirnetX Inc. certify as follows: 1. The full name of every party or amicus represented by us is: VirnetX Inc. 2. The name of the real party in interest represented by us is: VirnetX Inc. 3. All parent corporations and any publicly held companies that own 10 percent or more of the stock of the party or amicus curiae represented by us are: VirnetX Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of VirnetX Holding Corporation (“VHC”). VHC’s stock is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. 4. The names of all law firms and the partners or associates that appeared for the parties represented by us in the trial court, or are expected to appear in this Court, are: Paul Hastings LLP: Naveen Modi, Joseph E. Palys, Igor V. Timofeyev, Srikala P.
    [Show full text]
  • Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    No. 21- IN THE Supreme Court of the United States APPLE INC., Petitioner, v. OPTIS CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY, LLC, OPTIS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY, LLC, AND UNWIRED PLANET INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, Respondents. ON PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI MARK D. SELWYN CATHERINE M.A. CARROLL WILMER CUTLER PICKERING Counsel of Record HALE AND DORR LLP SETH P. WAXMAN 2600 El Camino Real DAVID L. CAVANAUGH Suite 400 DAVID M. LEHN Palo Alto, CA 94306 WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP ALYSON ZUREICK 1875 Pennsylvania Ave., NW WILMER CUTLER PICKERING Washington, DC 20006 HALE AND DORR LLP (202) 663-6000 7 World Trade Center [email protected] 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 MARK C. FLEMING WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP 60 State Street Boston, MA 02109 QUESTION PRESENTED Whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit may review, by appeal or mandamus, a decision of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office denying a peti- tion for inter partes review of a patent, where review is sought on the grounds that the denial rested on an agency rule that exceeds the PTO’s authority under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, is arbitrary or capri- cious, or was adopted without required notice-and-com- ment rulemaking. (i) CORPORATE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Apple Inc. has no parent company, and no publicly held corporation owns 10% or more of its stock. DIRECTLY RELATED PROCEEDINGS United States Court of Appeals (Fed. Cir.): A.
    [Show full text]
  • IPR2016-01751 Patent 7,600,455 B2 ______
    [email protected] Paper 15 571-272-7822 Entered: March 22, 2017 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE ____________ BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD ____________ ROBERT BOSCH TOOL CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. SD3, LLC, Patent Owner. ____________ Case IPR2016-01751 Patent 7,600,455 B2 ____________ Before HYUN J. JUNG, SCOTT A. DANIELS, and ROBERT L. KINDER, Administrative Patent Judges. KINDER, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION Denying Institution of Inter Partes Review 37 C.F.R. § 42.108 IPR2016-01751 Patent 7,600,455 B2 Robert Bosch Tool Corporation (“Petitioner”) filed a Petition pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §§ 311–319 to institute an inter partes review of claims 1–3 and 5–21 of U.S. Patent No. 7,600,455 B2, issued on October 13, 2009 (Ex. 1001, “the ’455 patent”). Paper 1 (“Pet.”). SD3, LLC (“Patent Owner”) filed a Preliminary Response. Paper 9 (“Prelim. Resp.”). On January 9, 2017, we issued an Order requesting reply briefing by the Petitioner on the issue of “whether the time bar of 35 U.S.C. § 315(b) applies to a complaint filed with the ITC.” Paper 11. Petitioner filed a Reply to the Preliminary Response on January 27, 2017. Paper 12 (“Reply”). We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 314 and 37 C.F.R. § 42.4(a). To institute an inter partes review, we must determine that the information presented in the Petition shows “a reasonable likelihood that the petitioner would prevail with respect to at least 1 of the claims challenged in the petition.” 35 U.S.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Alternative Patent Licensing Paper May 19 2014
    Hacking the Patent System A Guide to Alternative Patent Licensing for Innovators By Marta Belcher and John Casey Juelsgaard Intellectual Property & Innovation Clinic Stanford Law School May 2014 Table of Contents Introduction to Alternative Patent Licensing…………………………………….1 The Patent System Is Broken…………………………………………………………1 Innovators Are Hacking the System to Use Patents for Good………………...1 Opting Out of the Patent System May Not Solve the Problem…………..……2 Defensive Patent Aggregators………………………………………………..………3 Unified Patents………………………………………………......……………………..4 Allied Security Trust (AST)………………………………………………………….…5 RPX……………………………………………………………………………………..…7 Patent Pledges………………………………………………………………………………9 Defensive Patent License (DPL)…………………………………..…………………9 Open Invention Network (OIN) ……………………………………...……………11 Twitter’s Innovator’s Patent Agreement (IPA).……………………………….…12 Google’s License on Transfer (LOT) Agreement…………………………….….14 Comparison Tables………………………………………………………………………16 i Introduction to Alternative Patent Licensing The patent system is intended to incentivize innovation, but the current system often does the opposite. The traditional model of patent licensing—whereby a company pays a patent owner to license an invention that the company legitimately uses—has been hijacked by non-practicing entities (“patent trolls”) and other aggressive patent holders who assert overbroad patents that never should have been granted in the first place. Within this broken patent regime, companies are increasingly hacking the system—that is, finding alternatives to the traditional patent licensing model in order to both promote open innovation and protect the companies themselves. These patent system hacks can be organized into two broad categories: (1) defensive patent aggregators, which pool member companies’ resources to defensively purchase patents for the group and to fight patent trolls, and (2) patent pledges, whereby companies opt to openly and defensively license their patents to others.
    [Show full text]
  • The Proper Appellate Standard of Review for PTAB Factual Findings Made Incidental to Claim Construction
    Catholic University Law Review Volume 67 Issue 1 Winter 2018 Article 9 3-20-2018 The Proper Appellate Standard of Review for PTAB Factual Findings Made Incidental to Claim Construction A. David Brzozowski II Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.edu/lawreview Part of the Administrative Law Commons, and the Civil Procedure Commons Recommended Citation A. David Brzozowski II, The Proper Appellate Standard of Review for PTAB Factual Findings Made Incidental to Claim Construction, 67 Cath. U. L. Rev. 165 (2018). Available at: https://scholarship.law.edu/lawreview/vol67/iss1/9 This Comments is brought to you for free and open access by CUA Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Catholic University Law Review by an authorized editor of CUA Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Proper Appellate Standard of Review for PTAB Factual Findings Made Incidental to Claim Construction Cover Page Footnote J.D. Candidate, May 2018, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law; B.A. 2012, The University of Connecticut. The author wishes to thank the professors and alumni of the Catholic University who provided their support and guidance. The author also wishes to thank the Catholic University Law Review staff members and editors for their hard work during the editing of this Comment. This comments is available in Catholic University Law Review: https://scholarship.law.edu/lawreview/vol67/iss1/9 THE PROPER APPELLATE STANDARD OF REVIEW FOR PTAB FACTUAL FINDINGS MADE INCIDENTAL TO CLAIM CONSTRUCTION A. David Brzozowski II+ In 2011, President Obama signed the America Invents Act (AIA), enacting the most significant changes to U.S.
    [Show full text]