Tag: IPR
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Kroy IP Holdings v. Groupon: The Federal Circuit Draws a Hard Line on IPR Collateral Estoppel
The Federal Circuit’s August 1, 2025 order denying rehearing en banc in Kroy IP Holdings, LLC v. Groupon, Inc., No. 23-1359, leaves intact a panel decision that sharply limits the collateral-estoppel effect of PTAB unpatentability decisions in subsequent district court litigation. The denial is notable not because of its brevity—en banc denials are routine—but because…
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IGT v. Zynga: Institution Unreviewability Swallows Interference Estoppel (and Obviousness Stands)
The Federal Circuit’s decision in IGT v. Zynga Inc. delivers a one-two punch that will resonate in AIA practice: (1) the court affirmed the PTAB’s obviousness ruling; and (2) it refused to review the agency’s decision not to apply interference estoppel at institution. Read together, the opinion underscores just how muscular § 314(d)’s unreviewability has…
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Shockwave Medical v. Cardiovascular Systems: Federal Circuit Clarifies Use of AAPA and Reverses PTAB on Claim 5
In a significant decision issued on July 14, 2025, the Federal Circuit in Shockwave Medical, Inc. v. Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., Nos. 2023-1864, 2023-1940, affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s finding that most of the claims of U.S. Patent No. 8,956,371 were unpatentable as obvious—but reversed the Board’s lone finding of non-obviousness, holding that claim…
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Ancora v. Roku: When Patent Licenses Become Evidence of Nonobviousness
In the June 16, 2025 decision of Ancora Technologies, Inc. v. Roku, Inc., the Federal Circuit vacated and remanded two inter partes review (IPR) decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) that had found claims of U.S. Patent No. 6,411,941—owned by Ancora Technologies, Inc.—to be unpatentable as obvious. While the Federal Circuit affirmed…
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Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp. v. Unified Patents, LLC: No Standing to Appeal IPR RPI Dispute
In Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp. v. Unified Patents, LLC, No. 23-2110 (Fed. Cir. June 5, 2025), the Federal Circuit dismissed Dolby’s appeal for lack of Article III standing. Although Dolby had prevailed before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) in an inter partes review (IPR) initiated by Unified Patents, it sought to appeal the…
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Ingenico Inc. v. IOENGINE, LLC: Public Availability of Prior Art Software Invalidates Patent Claims
In a recent decision, Ingenico Inc. v. IOENGINE, LLC, the Federal Circuit upheld a jury’s finding that several claims of IOENGINE’s U.S. Patent Nos. 9,059,969 and 9,774,703 were invalid due to anticipation and obviousness by publicly available prior art. Specifically, the Court affirmed that a software application known as the “Firmware Upgrader,” part of M-Systems’…
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Qualcomm v. Apple: Express Reliance on Applicant Admitted Prior Art Bars IPR Ground
In Qualcomm Inc. v. Apple Inc., Nos. 2023-1208, -1209 (Fed. Cir. Apr. 23, 2025), the Federal Circuit reversed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) post-remand decision, holding that the Board erred in allowing Apple’s inter partes review (IPR) ground to proceed based on a misinterpretation of 35 U.S.C. § 311(b). The ruling clarifies the…
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Sage Products, LLC v. Stewart: “Sterile” Label in UK Document Found to Anticipate U.S. “Sterilized” Patent Claims
In Sage Products, LLC v. Stewart, No. 2023-1603 (Fed. Cir. Apr. 15, 2025), the Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) finding that all challenged claims of Sage’s U.S. Patent Nos. 10,398,642 and 10,688,067 were unpatentable due to anticipation and obviousness. The ruling centered on whether a UK public assessment report (PAR)…
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Patent Battles in Wearable Tech: AliveCor v. Apple and the Fight Over Arrhythmia Detection
On March 7, 2025, the Federal Circuit issued its decision in AliveCor, Inc. v. Apple Inc., upholding the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) ruling that invalidated AliveCor’s patents on heart rate monitoring technology. The case has significant implications for the wearable technology industry, particularly in the areas of patentability,…
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Federal Circuit Weighs in on Gesture-Based Patent Dispute: Key Takeaways for IP Law
The Federal Circuit’s recent decision in Apple Inc. v. Gesture Technology Partners, LLC (March 2025) provides important insights into patent law, particularly in the context of inter partes review (IPR) proceedings and obviousness determinations. This ruling builds on the court’s earlier January 2025 decision in another dispute involving Gesture Technology Partners, reinforcing key legal principles…