Source: http://slideplayer.com/slide/224436/
Timestamp: 2016-10-22 19:44:12
Document Index: 32428212

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 271', '§ 303', '§ 303', '§ 271', 'arte 37', '§ 141', '§ 303', '§ 1']

© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Reexamination and Concurrent Patent Litigation: The Most Significant Development. - ppt download
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Presentation on theme: "© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Reexamination and Concurrent Patent Litigation: The Most Significant Development."— Presentation transcript:
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Reexamination and Concurrent Patent Litigation: The Most Significant Development in Patent Enforcement in the Last Five Years Robert Greene Sterne Jon Wright Michael Specht Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. Washington, DC Georgetown University Law Center April 20, 2010 | Washington, DC, 12:00, McDonough Hall 2
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Schedule of Upcoming Presentations and Speaking Engagements on Concurrent Patent Litigation and Reexamination (2010) -George Washington University Law School, March 17, 2010, Washington, DC 12:00-1:00pm, Burns Hall (Robert G. Sterne and Lori A. Gordon) -University of Maryland School of Law, April 6, 2010, Baltimore, MD 5:25 - 7:25pm Room 310 (Robert G. Sterne and Lori A. Gordon) -George Mason University School of Law, April 14, 2010, Arlington VA, 12:00 - 1:00pm, Room 332 (Robert G. Sterne and Jon Wright) -University of Virginia School of Law, April 16, 2010, Charlottesville, VA 12:00 - 1:00pm, Room SL258 (Robert G. Sterne, Mark F. Evens and Byron L. Pickard) -Georgetown University Law Center, April 20, 2010, Washington, DC, 12:00 - 1:30pm, McDonough Hall Room 492 (Robert G. Sterne, Jon Wright, and Michael Specht) 2 3
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. 3 I.Patent reexamination before the USPTO has become a standard litigation strategy for defendants accused of patent infringement in Article III District Courts and or the International Trade Commission (ITC). Litigation Defense Strategy Plaintiff-Patent Owner Files Patent Infringement Suit in U.S. District Court Under 35 U.S.C. § 271 Defendant-Accused Infringer(s) File Request for Reexamination Under 35 U.S.C. §§ 303 or 312 Patent Owner Asserts Property Right Against One or More Parties with Plans to Enforce Accused Infringers Form a Joint Defense Group (JDG) and Seek to Invalidate the Patent 4
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. 4 II.When the district court litigation is not stayed pending a reexamination at the USPTO, the patent-in-suit enters a parallel universe with respect to validity challenges that involve prior art patents and printed publications. Concurrent Proceedings Defendant-Accused Infringer Files Request for Reexamination Under 35 U.S.C. §§ 303 or 312 Defendants Motion to Stay the District Court Proceeding Pending the Reexamination is Denied Plaintiff-Patent Owner Files Patent Infringement Suit in U.S. District Court Under 35 U.S.C. § 271 USPTO Grants Request for Reexamination Filed By One or More of the Parties in the JDG 5
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. 5 III.Particularly with a non-practicing entity, where there may be no injunction under eBay, the parallel reexamination could extinguish on-going royalties even if the parallel litigation has been lost by the accused infringer-defendant. Extinguish Royalties 6
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Whereas Most Defendants in 2005 Viewed Reexaminations as Favoring Patent Owners Today Many are of the Opposite View 1.The Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) was created by the USPTO to handle reexaminations with the statutory mandate of special dispatch. 2.A lower standard for finding obviousness exists in view of the Supreme Courts decision in KSR. 3.Reexamination standard of review (e.g., broadest reasonable claim construction, preponderance of evidence, owner can amend but not broaden). 4.Any third-party requester can attack the patent claims by raising multiple SNQs and proposing multiple grounds of rejection in the request. 6 7
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Ex Parte Reexamination - Created by Congress in 1980, its goal was to provide a quality check on issued patents. - Patent owners and even anonymous third-parties have standing to file an ex parte request. - Except responding to the patent owner's optional statement, the third-party may not participate. - The patent owner can interview with the Examiner on the merits during reexamination. Statutes, Rules, and Procedures 35 U.S.C. §§ Ex Parte 37 C.F.R. §§ Ex Parte MPEP-Chapter 2200 Ex Parte Inter Partes Reexamination - Created by Congress in 1999, its goal was to provide a fast, low- cost, effective alternative to district court litigation. - Only a third-party requester not in privity with the patent owner has standing to file an inter partes reexamination request. - Both the patent owner and the third- party requester can participate. It can result, however, in estoppels in concurrent or future litigation. Statutes, Rules, and Procedures 35 U.S.C. §§ Inter Partes 37 C.F.R. §§ Inter Partes MPEP-Chapter 2600 Inter Partes 7 Two Types of Reexamination: Ex Parte and Inter Partes are Distinguished by the 3PRs Right to Participate, Respond, and Appeal 8
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. 8 Official USPTO Filing Statistics for Ex Parte and Inter Partes Reexaminations Since 2005 9
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Annual Ex Parte Request Filings *Cumulative Since July 1, 1981 Annual Inter Partes Request Filings *Cumulative Since November 29, Official USPTO Filings Cumulative Statistics for Ex Parte and Inter Partes by Discipline 10
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Ex Parte Reexam Certificates a. All Claims Confirmed Unamended Patent Owner Initiated22% Third-Party Initiated26% Commissioner Initiated12% Overall24% b. All Claims Cancelled None Added Patent Owner Initiated8% Third-Party Initiated13% Commissioner Initiated23% Overall11% c. Claims Changed in Some Way Patent Owner Initiated70% Third-Party Initiated61% Commissioner Initiated65% Overall65% Inter Partes Reexam Certificates a. All Claims Confirmed Unamended Third-Party Initiated11 or 8% b. All Claims Cancelled None Added Third-Party Initiated68 or 51% c. Claims Changed in Some Way Third-Party Initiated55 or 41% 10 Official USPTO Claim Outcome Analysis for Ex Parte and Inter Partes Reexaminations NOTE: A patent is not revised by any amendment or cancellation of a claim made during a reexamination proceeding until a certificate is issued. 35 U.S.C Thus, each claim is presumed valid under 35 U.S.C. 282 and may be enforced notwithstanding the presence of a pending reexamination proceeding. Ethicon v. Quigg, 849 F.2d 1422 (Fed. Cir. 1988). 11
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) - In 2005, the USPTO created the CRU to ensure quality, consistency, and reduce pendency. - The CRU handles all reexaminations regardless of technology and all legacy cases from the TCs. - It is composed of three art units (e.g., 3991, 3992, 3993) and a core of 66 Examiners, averaging 18 years of USPTO experience. - Three CRU Examiners are assigned to a reexamination. CRU Examiners do not search. - CRU Examiners focus on quality during reexamination and are not subject to the "count" system performance metrics. Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA) - Works closely with the CRU to resolve certain petitions, real party in interest questions, petitions to merge (e.g., reissue, multiple). - Assists the CRU when legal questions arise, analyzes the effects of rules, and looks for ways to streamline. Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) - Appeals from the CRU go to the Board of Appeals and Interferences (BPAI). - The BPAI is quasi-judicial and staffed with Administrative Law Judges. - § 141 Appeals from the BPAI go to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. 11 USPTO Central Reexamination Unit (CRU), Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA), and the Board of Patent Appeals (BPAI) 12
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. 12 Appealing Inter Partes Reexamination Final Actions from the CRU to the BPAI, the CAFC, and BPAI Remands On New Grounds Appeals from the CRU to the BPAIAppeals from the BPAI to the CAFC Upon Right of Appeal Notice (1.953) either or both parties may file Notice of Appeal: On Appeal at the BPAI: 13
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Different Tribunals and Standards - District court, the ITC, and USPTO are substantively different tribunals and their proceedings vary in scope, procedure, and standard of review. - The USPTO applies the "broadest reasonable interpretation" for claim language because claims may be amended. MPEP District courts conventionally apply a less liberal standard of claim interpretation, thus narrowing the universe of prior art. - Claims also enjoy a presumption of validity in district court, which may be overcome only by "clear and convincing evidence. Effect of a Valid or Invalid Finding - A court decision holding that a patent claim is valid will not preclude reexamination by the USPTO of such claim in an ex parte reexamination, even if final. - A final, non-appealable court decision holding that a patent claim is invalid will preclude the USPTO from ordering any reexamination or will result in termination of any other as to such claim. MPEP The net effect is that an invalidity decision, whether by the USPTO or the district court, trumps any earlier validity finding, even by the district court. In re Translogic Tech., Inc., 504 F.3d 1249 (Fed. Cir. 2008). 13 The Parallel Universe: Concurrent Validity Challenges in Article III District Court, the USITC, and or USPTO Reexamination 14
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Hot Button Reexamination and Concurrent Patent Litigation Issues (Sedona Conference) Robert Greene Sterne, Jon E. Wright, Lori A. Gordon, Reexamination Practice with Concurrent District Court Litigation or Section 337 USITC Investigations, 10 Sedona Conf. J. 115 (2009) Presented at The Sedona Conference on Patent Litigation X, 2009 (Sedona, AZ) Available on Westlaw: 1) Go to Westlaw 2) Enter below cite into Find by Citation: "10 SEDCJ 115" Download is free for students and approximately $ printing fees ($15) with no discount package for Westlaw subscribers 14 15
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Substantial New Questions of Patentability: The SNQ, KSR, and In Re Swanson - Both the ex parte and inter partes statutes require that a request for reexamination raise at least one new substantial new question of patentability (SNQ). 35 U.S.C. §§ 303 and The Fed. Cir. in In re Swanson, 540 F.3d (Fed. Cir. 2008) recently clarified what it takes to support a SNQ where a reference was previously used to reject the claims. - In addition to a newly discovered reference, a previously applied reference can raise a SNQ if presented in a new light. KSR and In re Swanson have many significant implications. 15 16
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. The Protective Order and the Duty of Disclosure in Concurrent Proceedings - When crafting a protective order for district court litigation, parties must consider the possibility of a reexamination being filed at the USPTO. - In a reexamination proceeding, each individual associated with the patent owner has a duty of candor and good faith in dealing with the USPTO. - The duty of candor includes a duty to disclose to the USPTO all information known to that individual to be material to patentability. 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.555(a) and 1.933(a). - Material obtained during discovery even if subject to a protective order must be disclosed. 16 17
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. The Ex Parte Reexamination Interview: Key Strategic Differentiator for Patent Owners - Rule states that [t]here will be no interviews in an inter partes reexamination proceeding … whereas in ex parte, the patent owner is allowed to request an Examiner interview on the merits. - Typically the interview is scheduled before the response to a First Office Action and occurs at the USPTO with a CRU examination panel and patent owner representation in attendance. - This can be a significant advantage as the clearest risk for an accused infringer is that at least one asserted claim survives unamended, without any adverse prosecution history estoppels. 17 18
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Rolling Reexaminations: Serial Ex Parte Reexaminations and Multiple Proceedings - Where a party has a choice of whether to file an ex parte or inter partes reexamination request, one factor considered is that there is no legal limit on the number of ex parte reexamination requests. - Multiple proceedings can serve as a valuable tool where the patent owner mischaracterizes the prior art and makes inconsistent statements before the USPTO and the district court. - However, the threshold for establishing a valid SNQ may become higher with each reexamination request. The SNQ cannot be merely cumulative to art considered, raising the bar each time. 18 19
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Public Proceedings In The Lime Light: The Impact of USPTO Decisions on Stock Price - In the past decade there have been many high profile reexaminations: NTP, Inc. v. Research in Motion, Ltd. (Blackberry), TiVo v. Echostar, (TimeWarp), recently i4i v. Microsoft (Word). - As a result, investors have become aware of the impact reexaminations can have on company value. Since the USPTO proceedings are public, investors can monitor them (e.g., office actions). - Now the media covers reexamination events in high profile cases which can result in precipitous fluctuations in stock price (e.g., Tessera, Rambus, Volterra, Avistar, 01 Communique). 19 20
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Some High Profile Reexaminations Handled By Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox TiVo - TiVo v. EchoStar Communications Corp. i4i - i4i Limited Partnership v. Microsoft Corp. Martek Rambus Uniloc - Uniloc USA v. Microsoft Corp. Volterra Sybase - Telecommunications Systems Inc v. Mobile365 Jingle - Grape Technologies v. Jingle Networks Santaris 20 21
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. i4i Story Two inventors with an idea Start a company January 2, 1994 file a patent application July 28, 1998 patent issues Company grows 22
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. March 2007 i4i sues Microsoft in EDTX for patent infringement November 21, 2008, Microsoft places i4i patent into ex parte reexamination May 2009 – jury trial May 20, 2009 jury verdict is delivered finding the patent infringed, willful infringement, and awarding $400M in damages with in injunction to stop selling Word. June 15, 2009 the Reexamination Office Action issues. Federal Circuit dockets appeal with expedited briefing. March 3, 2010, Federal Circuit panel affirms the district court. i4i Story 23
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. The Reexamination Center: Comprehensive Resource for Legal News and Information Visit The Reexamination Center, the leading site devoted solely to the law and practice of patent reexamination 23 24
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Find Recent SKGF Publications & Articles on Appeals from the CRU and Biotech/Pharma in Art Unit 3991 at The Reexamination Center - Appeals from the Central Reexamination Unit to the BPAI and CAFC, materials at the 5th Annual Advanced Patent Law Institute (January, 2010) - Reexamination Practice of Biotech/Pharma Patents in Group Art Unit 3991, presented at 5th Annual Advanced Patent Law Institute (January, 2010) - Reexamination Practice with Concurrent District Court or USITC Patent Litigation, presented at Association of Corporate Patent Counsel (2009) Download from The Reexamination Center: 24 25
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Student Publications, Comments, Notes or Research Topics Involving Reexamination for Publication at The Reexamination Center The Reexamination Center is interested in submissions from talented students. Please let us know of any published comments or notes involving reexamination issues we should consider for discussion and possible publication and download. Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox is looking for talent Top Patent Attorneys and Law Students should visit our website: Please contact Tacie Steidel, Recruitment Coordinator: 25 26
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. 26 THANK YOU We hope this presentation has improved your knowledge and raised your interest in the law and practice of patent reexamination. We welcome your questions, comments, and observations. Please visit The Reexamination Center for more information SKGF is looking for Top Patent Attorneys and Law Students contact Tacie Steidel, Recruitment Coordinator Questions & Comments 27
© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. How to Find Version 9 of the Sedona Paper Hot Button Issues on Patent Litigation and Concurrent Reexamination Law and Practice Robert Greene Sterne, Jon E. Wright, Lori A. Gordon, Reexamination Practice with Concurrent District Court Litigation or Section 337 USITC Investigations, 10 Sedona Conf. J. 115 (2009) Presented at The Sedona Conference on Patent Litigation X, 2009 (Sedona, AZ) Available on Westlaw: 1) Go to Westlaw 2) Enter below cite into Find by Citation: "10 SEDCJ 115" Download is free for students and approximately $ printing fees ($15) with no discount package for Westlaw subscribers 27 Download ppt "© 2009 Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox P.L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. Reexamination and Concurrent Patent Litigation: The Most Significant Development."