IPR

Subscribe to IPR

In the chemical and biological arts, it is common for patent challengers to allege obviousness based upon prior art disclosures of ranges combined with “routine optimization” by one skilled in the art.  In E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. v. Synvina C.V., No. 17-1977 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 17, 2018), the Federal Circuit reversed the PTAB’s (“Board”) final written decision upholding Synvina’s U.S. Patent No. 8,865,921 (“’921 patent”) as non-obvious, in response to du Pont’s inter partes review (“IPR”) challenge on such grounds.  In particular, in E.I. du Pont, the Court found that the patentee failed to demonstrate that 1) the claimed range produced a new and unexpected result, different in kind and not merely in degree from the prior art, 2) the optimized parameter was not recognized as a result-effective variable, 3) the disclosure of broad ranges did not invite more than routine optimization, or 4) that the prior art taught away from the range.

Continue Reading Obviousness of Overlapping Ranges – The Burden-Shifting Framework Applies to Inter Partes Review: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. v. Synvina C.V.

During the week of October 15-19, the Board issued one decision in Technology Center 1600, instituting inter partes review. The decision is as follows:

Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Bristol-Meyers Squibb Co., No. IPR2018-00892 (Decision Entered October 15, 2018). In ground 1 of the Petition, Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Petitioner”) challenged claims 1–38 of U.S. Patent No. 9,326,945 (“the ’945 patent”) as obvious over the references of Carreiro, Wei, and the FDA Dissolution Guidance. IPR2018-00892, Paper 24 at 5. In ground 2, Petitioner challenged claims 1–38 as obvious over the references of Carreiro, Wei, Rudnic, and the FDA Dissolution Guidance. Id. In ground 3, Petitioner challenged claims 1–38 as obvious over the references of Pinto, Wei, and the FDA Dissolution Guidance. Id. at 6. In ground 4, Petitioner challenged claims 1–38 as obvious over the references of Pinto, Wei, Rudnic, and the FDA Dissolution Guidance. Id. Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company and Pfizer, Inc. (“Patent Owner”) filed a Preliminary Response. Id. at 2. Continue Reading PTAB Tech Center 1600 Round-Up: Week of October 15–19

During the week of October 8, 2018, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“the Board”) issued five decisions in Tech Center 1600.  One decision denied institution of post-grant review (“PGR”), and the other four—which were related inter partes review (“IPR”) petitions—instituted the IPR petitions and granted the requests for joinder.  The decisions are summarized below. Continue Reading PTAB Tech Center 1600 Round-Up: Week of October 8-12, 2018

This morning, the US Patent and Trademark Office issued its final rule implementing district court-style claim construction at the PTAB, replacing the “broadest reasonable interpretation” standard.  The official text of the rule will publish in the Federal Register on October 11, 2018, in final form.  The new rule is not retroactive and will apply to petitions filed on or after the effective date of the final rule, which is Nov. 13, 2018 (i.e., the first federal business day after 30 days from publication). [Note: 30 days from an October 11, 2018 publication falls on Saturday, November 10, 2018, but the PTO’s press release [PDF] reports the effective date as November 13, 2018.]

Continue Reading USPTO Issues Claim Construction Final Rule for Patent Office Trials – In with Phillips, Out with BRI

During the week of October 1, 2018, the Board issued seven Final Written Decisions and two institution decisions in Technology Center 1600.  The decisions are summarized as follows: Continue Reading PTAB Tech Center 1600 Round-Up: Week of October 1-5, 2018

During the week of September 17-21, 2018, the Board issued two decisions in Technology Center 1600, one instituting inter partes review and one final written decision finding the challenged claims had not been proven unpatentable.  The decisions are as follows: Continue Reading PTAB Tech Center 1600 Round-Up: Week of September 17-21, 2018