- Dr. Reddy’S Laboratories, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc., Hoffman-La Roche AG, And Abbvie Inc.Rehearing grantedPTAB · Aug 10, 2023 · PGR2022-00023 · APJ Jeffrey N Fredman · PGR · Rehearing
On Patent Owner’s rehearing request, the Board held claim 25 unpatentable under § 112(a) because it depends from claim 14, which lacks written description support.
RulingsRehearing decision- RehearingRehearing, grantedGranted
“We therefore agree with Petitioner that we overlooked the correct dependency of claim 25. Claim 25, as a claim dependent from claim 14, lacks written descriptive support because claim 25 fails to cure the absence of descriptive support for claim 14.” slip op. at 4
- Disclosure Requirements (§112) › Written description (Ariad)Written description inadequateUnpatentable
“In the Final Written Decision, we determined that claim 14 lacked descriptive support. We noted that Claim 14, in particular, recites a GDC-0199 dosing regimen “compris[ing] a dose of 20 mg per day for one week, a dose of 50 mg per day for one week, a dose of 100 mg per day for one week, a dose of 200 mg of GDC-0199 per day for one week, and a dose of 400 mg per day.” Unlike for claim 1, such disclosure is not found in a single example, but results from picking and choosing three separate selections from column 24. “The written description requirement is not met when, as here, the specification provides at best disparate disclosures that an artisan might have been able to combine in order to make the claimed invention.” Flash-Control, LLC v. Intel Corp., 2021 WL 2944592 *4 (Fed. Cir. 2021) (citing Ariad, 598 F.3d at 1352.)” slip op. at 3
§ 112 disclosurePatents in suitUS 10,993,942 - Platform Science, Inc. v. Omnitracs, LLCRehearing grantedPTAB · Sep 3, 2021 · IPR2020-01612 · APJ Bart A Gerstenblith · IPR · Rehearing
The Board granted rehearing and instituted IPR on all petition grounds for claims 1–4, 6–9, 11, 12, and 15, finding a reasonable likelihood of prevailing.
RulingsRehearing decision- RehearingRehearing, grantedGranted
“II. STANDARD OF REVIEW A party requesting rehearing bears the burden of showing that the decision should be modified. 37 C.F.R. § 42.71(d). “The request must specifically identify all matters the party believes the Board misapprehended or overlooked, and the place where each matter was previously addressed in a motion, an opposition, or a reply.” Id. When rehearing a decision on a petition, we review the decision for an abuse of discretion. 37 C.F.R. § 42.71(c).” slip op. at 2
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“preliminary stage, we determine that Petitioner demonstrates a reasonable likelihood of prevailing with respect to claim 1.” slip op. at 44
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededNot reached
“The only dispute pertaining to claim construction at this stage of the proceeding is whether the phrase “a process for creating said response message,” recited in claim 1, is governed by 35 U.S.C. § 112 ¶ 6.6 Petitioner 6 As noted above, Petitioner raises a second claim construction issue in its Rehearing Request. See Req. Reh’g 12–15 (asserting that the claims require only one instance of copying information from a formatted message to a response message based on which formatted message was received). Petitioner did not raise this issue in the Petition, Patent Owner has not had an contends that the phrase should be interpreted as a means-plus-function limitation, whereas Patent Owner contends that it should not. Compare Pet. 2–7 (advocating for a means-plus-function construction), with Prelim. Resp. 9–11 (advocating for an ordinary and customary meaning). At this stage of the proceeding, the dispute between the parties regarding the construction of this claim phrase does not impact our Decision. Accordingly, we need not construe expressly any claim terms for the purpose of this Decision.” slip op. at 17
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)Instituted
“VI. ANALYSIS Legal Standards – Anticipation “[A] claim is anticipated ‘if each and every limitation is found expressly or inherently in a single prior art reference.’” King Pharm., Inc. v. Eon Labs., Inc., 616 F.3d 1267, 1274 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (quoting Celeritas Techs., Ltd. v. Rockwell Int’l Corp., 150 F.3d 1354, 1361 (Fed. Cir. 1998)). Anticipation is a question of fact, In re Gleave, 560 F.3d 1331, 1334–35 (Fed. Cir. 2009), assessed from the perspective of one of ordinary skill in the art, see Dayco Prods., Inc. v. Total Containment, Inc., 329 F.3d 1358, 1368 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (“the dispositive question regarding anticipation [i]s whether one skilled in the art would reasonably understand or infer from the [prior art reference’s] teaching that every claim element was disclosed in that single reference” (alteration in original) (quotation omitted)).” slip op. at 18
Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 6,925,308 - Neumodx Molecular, Inc. v. Handylab, Inc.Rehearing grantedPTAB · Aug 6, 2021 · IPR2020-01133 · APJ Jo-Anne M Kokoski · IPR · Rehearing
Granted Petitioner’s rehearing request and instituted review of claims 1–15 on all asserted grounds because the Petition showed a reasonable likelihood of unpatentability.
RulingsRehearing decision- RehearingRehearing, grantedGranted
“Rehearing Request and conclude that we misapprehended the law of incorporation by reference when evaluating the grounds based on Ganesan- Publ’424, and that the Petition sets forth sufficient grounds and evidence to justify institution of trial.8 We, therefore, grant Petitioner’s Rehearing 8 Because our determination that we misapprehended the law of incorporation by reference is dispositive, we need not address Petitioner’s other arguments in the Rehearing Request. Request and institute an inter partes review of claims 1–15 of the ’103 patent on all the grounds asserted in the Petition.” slip op. at 3
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Prior-art status of a reference › Patents / published applications (effective date, provisional support)Reference is prior artDecided for petitioner
“‘generally incorporates’ Ganesan-Prov’264, and did not ‘identif[y] with particularity’ any specific subject matter from Ganesan-Prov’264 . . . misapprehended the law of incorporation by reference in a way that is contrary to both Federal Circuit precedent and other Board decisions.” Req. Reh’g 10 (citing Dec. 18; Advanced Display Sys., Inc. v. Kent State Univ., 212 F.3d 1272, 1282 (Fed. Cir. 2000)). In particular, Petitioner argues that Advanced Display’s statement that “[t]o incorporate material by reference, the host document must identify with detailed particularity what specific material it incorporates and clearly indicate where that material is found in the various documents” (212 F.3d at 1282) does not mean that the host document must identify some specific subject matter or subpart of the incorporated document (such as by page/line). Rather, the quoted statement simply means that the host document must clearly identify what is being incorporated and where it can be found—even when the incorporation applies to the entire document.” slip op. at 5
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)Instituted
“with sufficient particularity such that the entirety of Ganesan-Prov’264 is incorporated therein, and Ganesan-Prov’264 forms a part of Ganesan- Publ’424 for purposes of anticipation. Ganesan-Prov’264 “relates generally to techniques for thermal control of microfluidic devices.” Ex. 1208, 2:29– 30. Ganesan-Prov’264 teaches that “heater/sensors in accordance with the invention may be integral with a microfluidic device or separate from a microfluidic device,” and “may be formed separately from the microfluidic device.” Id. at 12:16–21 (emphases added). Ganesan-Prov’264 further teaches that “one or more heater/sensors may be formed as part of a device configured to operatively receive a microfluidic device,” and “[t]he device may include one or more heater sensors positioned to be in thermal contact with portions of the operatively received microfluidic device.” Id. at 12:21– 26. Based on these teachings, Petitioner’s declarant, Dr. Mark Burns, testifies that “the heater array of Ganesan-Publ’424 may be formed integrally with the network-containing microfluidic substrate, or may be formed separately in a testing device into which the microfluidic substrate is placed or another part of the system.” Ex. 1101 ¶ 345 (citing Ex. 1109 ¶ 79; Ex. 1208, 12:20–25).” slip op. at 8
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › Fintiv (parallel litigation)Decided for petitioner
“to begin on April 11, 2022. Prelim. Resp. 45. We note, however, that the parties recently filed a Stipulation and Proposed Order to Extend Case Schedule, pushing the trial to December 2022, which the district court granted. Ex. 3001. Given the statutory deadlines, our latest possible date for issuance of a final written decision in this proceeding is in July, 2022, one year after we issue this decision instituting an inter partes review. 35 U.S.C. §§ 314(c), 316(a)(11); see also 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(c). Thus, our final written decision would issue at least four months before trial. “If the court’s trial date is earlier than the projected statutory deadline, the Board generally has weighed this fact in favor of exercising authority to deny institution under NHK.” Fintiv Order 9. We find that this factor weighs strongly against exercising discretion to deny institution.” slip op. at 12
§ 102 anticipationDiscretionary denialPatents in suitUS 8,415,103 - Eis GmbH v. Novoluto GmbHRehearing grantedPTAB · Jun 17, 2020 · IPR2019-01302 · APJ John E Schneider · IPR · Rehearing
Granted rehearing and instituted inter partes review of claims 1–30 on all asserted grounds, finding a reasonable likelihood that claim 1 is unpatentable over Guan, Lee, and Hovland.
RulingsRehearing decision- RehearingRehearing, grantedGranted
“decision should be modified. 37 C.F.R. § 42.71(d). The party must identify specifically all matters we misapprehended or overlooked, and the place where each matter was addressed previously in a motion, an opposition, or a reply. Id. When rehearing a decision on a petition, we review the decision for an abuse of discretion. 37 C.F.R. § 42.71(c). “An abuse of discretion occurs if the decision (1) is clearly unreasonable, arbitrary, or fanciful; (2) is based on an erroneous conclusion of law; (3) rests on clearly erroneous fact findings; or (4) involves a record that contains no evidence on which the Board could rationally base its decision.” Redline Detection, LLC v. Star Envirotech, Inc., 811 F.3d 435, 442 (Fed. Cir. 2015). With this in mind, we address the arguments presented by Petitioner in turn.” slip op. at 3
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“Request for Rehearing and conclude there are genuine issues of material fact about the teachings of Guan that warrant institution and resolution at trial.” slip op. at 2
- Obviousness (§103) › Analogous artAnalogous artDecided for petitioner
“Patent Owner contends that Guan is non-analogous art in that it is not related to stimulation of the clitoris. Prelim. Resp. 59. Patent Owner also contends that there is no motivation to combine the teachings of Lee and Guan. Id. at 60–63. Patent Owner argues that one skilled in the art would not consider using the indirect stimulator of Guan in the dildo of Lee as it would require a modification of Lee beyond a simple substitution of elements. Id.” slip op. at 5
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundDecided for petitioner
“Petitioner has also provided a reasonable motivation to combine the teachings of Lee and Guan. Lee comprises a dildo with an extension which directly stimulates the clitoris, a body part. Ex. 1006, Fig. 1; Ex. 1002, ¶¶ 72, 134–137. Guan discloses an apparatus, which indirectly stimulates a body part. Ex. 1007, 3; Ex. 1002 ¶ 137. Given the teaching in the art of the problems with direct stimulation versus indirect stimulation, we agree on this record with Dr. Prisco that one skilled in the art would have had a reason to substitute the indirect stimulation device of Guan for the direct intensive and is best decided on a full record. Cf. Monark Knitting Mach, Corp. v. Sulzer Morat GmbH, 139 F.3d 877, 886 (Fed. Cir. 1998) (determining that issues of fact concerning secondary considerations precluded grant of summary judgment) reasonable expectation of success. Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 132–137.” slip op. at 6
§ 103 obviousnessPatents in suitUS 9,937,097 - Rust-Oleum Corporation / RPM International, Inc.Rehearing grantedPTAB · Jul 23, 2019 · IPR2017-02158 · APJ Christopher G Paulraj · IPR · Rehearing
The Board accepted Patent Owners’ rehearing request as timely but denied rehearing, finding no overlooked or misapprehended issue requiring modification of the final written decision.
RulingsRehearing decision- RehearingRehearing, deniedDenied
“layer is being removed (i.e., Example 1). Id. at 2–3. We are not persuaded that we misapprehended or overlooked the evidence of record regarding whether Baumgärtel requires the use of pigments for rejuvenation. As we noted in our Final Written Decision, Example 1 of Baumgärtel does not mention the use of any pigments yet discusses the removal of the yellowed/damaged surface layer of white siding using a composition containing 99% dichloromethane. Paper 29, 42. Although the amendment in the Proposed Substitute Claims required both color and luster to be restored, it did not otherwise modify our construction of “rejuvenating,” which encompasses either “remov[ing] or transform[ing] the chalky surface that develops on vinyl siding that is exposed to sunlight and other environmental conditions.” Id. at 15 (emphasis added). The teaching in Baumgärtel’s Example 1 of removing the surface layer using a 99% dichloromethane solution satisfies our construction of “rejuvenating.” We, therefore, did not misapprehend or overlook Patent Owners’ evidence and arguments in determining that Example 1 of Baumgärtel anticipates the Proposed Substitute Claims.” slip op. at 7
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Other PTAB motions (exclude, strike, seal, additional discovery, rehearing)Granted
“Under 37 C.F.R. § 42.5(c)(3), “[a] late action will be excused on a showing of good cause or upon a Board decision that consideration on the merits would be in the interests of justice.” 37 C.F.R. § 42.5(c)(3) (emphasis added). Patent Owners have presented evidence tending to show that their counsel believed that the Request for Rehearing was timely filed on May 8, 2019. See Exs. 2011–2013. It does not appear, however, that they attached any document with their filing before clicking the submit button on PTAB E2E. In this regard, we note that the email generated by the PTAB E2E system and sent to counsel of record on May 8, 2019 clearly stated “THERE WERE NO DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED WITH THIS REQUEST.” Ex. 3001. Patent Owners have not explained why they did not take immediate action after receiving that email to determine whether the Request for Rehearing was actually filed.1 Indeed, Patent Owners remained” slip op. at 4
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Joinder §315(c) / SAS all-or-nothingDecided for petitioner
“http://www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/bpai/prps.jsp#heading-5 (emphasis added). 2 We are also not persuaded that the filing of a Notice of Appeal (Paper 33) by Patent Owners divested the Board of jurisdiction to decide the merits of the Request for Rehearing. The Federal Circuit’s decision in In re Graves, 69 F.3d 1147 (Fed. Cir. 1995), is instructive on this point. There, the applicant had filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Circuit after the Board entered its initial decision but before the Board’s decision on a request for reconsideration. Id. at 1150. Because the notice of appeal was filed too late if based on the initial decision, the court determined that the Board’s initial” slip op. at 5
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element) › Inherent disclosureNot reached
“misapprehended evidence and arguments showing that Dr. Storey’s experiment was not based on Example 1 of Baumgärtel, and thus insufficient for Petitioners to meet their burden of showing inherent anticipation. Ex. 2010, 4–6. But, as set forth in our Final Written Decision, we fully considered the evidence of record and determined that the experiments conducted by Dr. Storey further support a finding of inherent anticipation by Baumgärtel. Paper 29, 43 (citing Ex. 1022 ¶¶ 12–36). We recognized that the 99.5% pure dichloromethane used by Dr. Storey for his experiments did not include the 1% of additional ingredients identified in Example 1, but took into account Dr. Storey’s unrebutted testimony that those additional ingredients in such small proportions would not have materially affected the rejuvenation characteristics of dichloromethane. Id. at 43–44 (citing Ex. 1005 ¶¶ 81–82). As we noted, Patent Owners did not cross-examine Dr. Storey as to his declaration testimony in this proceeding; nor did Patent Owners’ expert Dr. Grulke address these points in his own declaration. Id. at 44. Thus, we are not persuaded that we misapprehended or overlooked the cited testimony of Dr. Storey regarding inherent anticipation.” slip op. at 7
§ 102 anticipationPatents in suitUS 6,669,991 - Hospira, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc.Rehearing grantedPTAB · Oct 26, 2017 · IPR2017-00731 · APJ Zhenyu Yang · IPR · Rehearing
The Board granted Hospira’s rehearing request and instituted review of claims 1–14 for obviousness over Baselga ’94 and Baselga ’96.
RulingsRehearing decision- RehearingRehearing, grantedGranted
“recites “in the absence of an anthracycline derivative.” In the Petition and the Preliminary Response, neither party proposed a construction for that term. Patent Owner, however, argues that “[e]ven if a person of ordinary skill would have chosen to combine an anti-ErbB2 antibody and a taxoid, there is no reason an ordinarily skilled artisan would have avoided anthracyclines as part of that treatment.” Prelim. Resp. 52 (emphasis added). In our Decision denying institution, we agreed with Patent Owner, stating that evidence of the record is “insufficient to suggest that an ordinary artisan would have avoided anthracyclines while pursuing the combination therapy with anti-ErbB2 antibody and a taxoid in a treatment regimen for humans.” Dec. 10 (emphasis added). In its Request for Rehearing, Petitioner contends that we erred in interpreting the limitation “in the absence of an anthracycline derivative” as requiring “avoidance” of an anthracycline derivative. Reh’g Req. 6. According to Petitioner, this term “is a negative limitation that is satisfied by anti-ErbB2 antibody–paclitaxel combinations that do not include an [anthracycline] derivative.” Id. at 5. After reconsidering the current record, we find Petitioner’s argument persuasive. In particular, because Baselga ’94 suggests a therapeutic composition consisting of an anti-ErbB2 antibody and paclitaxel, and does not suggest that doxorubicin must necessarily be included as part of the same treatment regimen, we are persuaded that the reference satisfies the limitation “in the absence of an anthracycline derivative.” Cf. Upsher-Smith Labs., Inc. v. Pamlab, L.L.C., 412 F.3d 1319, 1322 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (concluding the prior art anticipates a claim requiring a composition “essentially free of antioxidants,” because the prior art teaches “optional inclusion” of antioxidants, “despite no express teaching to exclude the antioxidants”).” slip op. at 17
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“In sum, Petitioner has presented sufficient evidence, for purposes of instituting trial, to show that in considering prior therapy received, an ordinary artisan would have been motivated to treat patients with ErbB2- overexpressing breast cancer by administering a combination of an anti- ErbB2 antibody and a taxoid, and “in the absence of an anthracycline derivative.”” slip op. at 18
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundInstituted
“Petitioner, however, points to other evidence to show that prior art teaches an ordinary artisan to combine an anti-ErbB2 antibody with a taxoid. Specifically, Petitioner refers to Baselga ʼ94 for teaching that, in mouse xenografts, “individual treatment with either anti-HER2 4D5 or paclitaxel alone resulted in 35% growth inhibition whereas the combination ‘resulted in a major antitumor activity with 93% inhibition of growth’ without increasing toxicity.” Id. at 45 (citing Ex. 1005 at 4). Similarly, Baselga ’96, citing Baselga ’94, teaches that “[i]n preclinical studies, both in vitro and in xenografts, rhuMAb HER2 markedly potentiated the antitumor effects of several chemotherapeutic agents, including … paclitaxel without increasing their toxicity.” Id. at 44 (quoting Ex. 1004, 15). Based on these teachings, we are persuaded that an ordinary artisan would have had a reason to treat HER2-positive breast cancer patients with a combination of rhuMAb HER2 and a taxoid.” slip op. at 12
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of success › Teaching awayTeaching away not foundDecided for petitioner
“Patent Owner argues that Exhibit 2029, which states that “breast cancers that overexpress p185 [i.e., HER2] will not respond well to Taxol,” teaches away from the claimed combination therapy. Prelim. Resp. 51 (citing Ex. 2029,5 1362). We are not persuaded on this record. In an obviousness inquiry, we must analyze the prior art as a whole, and not individually. See In re Fulton, 391 F.3d 1195, 1200 (Fed. Cir. 2004) (explaining that the question is “whether there is something in the prior art as a whole to suggest the desirability, and thus the obviousness, of making the combination”). Other evidence of record shows paclitaxel had been approved for treating breast cancer (see, e.g., Ex. 1025, 10), demonstrates synergy of paclitaxel and an anti-ErbB2 antibody in human breast cancer xenografts (see, e.g., Ex. 1005, 4; Ex. 1004, 15), and suggests clinical trials of the combination therapy (see, e.g., Ex. 1005, 4; Ex. 1004, 15). Weighing all evidence of record, we are not persuaded that prior art as a whole teaches away from combining paclitaxel and an anti-ErbB2 antibody in treating HER2-positive cancers.” slip op. at 14
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnessPatents in suitUS 7,846,441 - Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Astrazeneca ABRehearing grantedPTAB · May 2, 2016 · IPR2015-01340 · APJ Rama G Elluru · IPR · Rehearing
The Board granted Mylan’s rehearing request and instituted IPR of claims 1, 2, 4, 6-22, 25-30, 32-37, and 39-42.
RulingsRehearing decision- RehearingRehearing, grantedGranted
“II. ANALYSIS When rehearing a decision on institution, the Board reviews the decision for an abuse of discretion. 37 C.F.R. § 42.71(c). The applicable standard for a request for rehearing is set forth in 37 C.F.R. § 42.71(d), which provides in relevant part: A party dissatisfied with a decision may file a single request for rehearing without prior authorization from the Board. The burden of showing a decision should be modified lies with the party challenging the decision. The request must specifically identify all matters the party believes the Board misapprehended or overlooked, and the place where each matter was previously addressed in a motion, an opposition, or a reply. We grant Petitioner’s request for rehearing and institute an inter partes review of claims 1, 2, 4, 6–22, 25–30, 32–37, and 39–42 of the ’186 patent for the reasons provided in the concurrently issued Decision on Institution. Paper 16.” slip op. at 2
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“References Basis Claims challenged Ashworth I, Villhauer, Raag and, 1, 2, 4, 6–11, 25–28, § 103(a) Hanessian 32–35, 39, and 40 Ashworth I, Villhauer, Raag, 12–16, 29, 30, 36, 37, Hanessian, Bachovchin, and § 103(a) 41, and 42 GLUCOPHAGE Label Ashworth I, Villhauer, Raag, Hanessian, Bachovchin and, § 103(a) 12, 17, 18, and 22 XENICAL Label Ashworth I, Villhauer, Raag, Hanessian, Bachovchin, and § 103(a) 12, 19, 20, and 21” slip op. at 2
None - Square, Inc. v. Think Computer CorporationRehearing grantedPTAB · Feb 9, 2016 · CBM2014-00159 · APJ Michael W Kim · CBM · Rehearing
The Board granted Patent Owner’s rehearing request insofar as it addressed the assertions in the decision, but denied it in all other respects; the prior analysis remained unchanged.
RulingsRehearing decision- RehearingRehearing, grantedGranted in part
“A request for rehearing can only point out that which the Board misapprehended or overlooked, and will be reviewed for abuse of discretion. 37 C.F.R. § 42.71(d). Moreover, as the moving party, the burden of persuasion falls on Patent Owner. 37 C.F.R. § 42.20(c). The request must specifically identify all matters the party believes the Board misapprehended or overlooked, and where each matter was previously addressed in a motion, an opposition, or a reply. Office Patent Trial Practice Guide, 77 Fed. Reg. 48,756, 48,768 (Aug. 14, 2012).” slip op. at 1
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed board ownDecided for patent owner
“are unpersuaded that they would alter our construction. For example, Patent Owner asserts that the claim limitation “any particular transaction” requires that “bidirectional account” be construed as allowing an account to function simultaneously as both a merchant account and a purchaser account under all transactions. We disagree, primarily because we are unclear as to what Patent Owner means by “under all transactions.” The relevant limitation of independent claim 1 reads “wherein the first account and the second account are adapted to selectively function as either a merchant or a purchaser account during any particular transaction.” We find that “[a]ny particular transaction” means any specific transaction, and is not necessarily limited to all transactions going forward, and find further that, logically, an account need only function in “merchant mode” or “purchaser mode” for that particular transaction; otherwise the account would be in the awkward position of performing a transaction with itself. Moreover, we are unclear as to why the same account cannot function as both, depending on the transaction, as an account is merely a repository within which funds are held, and whether the account is in “merchant mode” (i.e., the ability to send funds from the account) or “purchaser mode” (i.e., the ability to send funds to the account) does not alter the fundamental repository nature of the account itself. A similar analysis of the cited portions of the prosecution history and Specification yields similar conclusions. For example, Patent Owner’s discussion of the prosecution history on pages 4 and 5 of the Request for Rehearing do not amount to Patent Owner providing an explicit definition of “selectively function,” “during any particular transition,” or any other claim term as meaning “simultaneously”; nor do Patent Owner’s statements rise to the level of a clear and unmistakable disclaimer with respect to the meaning of the claim terms.” slip op. at 8
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successNot reached
“2. whether Dalzell fails to meet the claims’ requirements Based on Patent Owner’s proposed claim construction of “bidirectional accounts,” Patent Owner asserts that Dalzell does not disclose “bidirectional accounts.” Req. 7‒10. As we are unpersuaded, however, that the Board misapprehended or overlooked the items identified by Patent Owner in construing “bidirectional accounts,” we are unpersuaded that our analysis of Dalzell and “bidirectional accounts” set forth on pages 28 to 29 of the Final Written Decision should be modified in any way. See Dec. 29 (“[W]e find that a more logical reading of paragraph 59 of Dalzell is that a buyer, from a particular account, can add a seller feature to that particular account, without the need to create a whole new account. Such a finding is supported by extensive analysis and testimony by Dr. Sadeh-Koniecpol, with explicit citations to Dalzell, which we find credible, reasonable, and persuasive. Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 147-164 (citing Ex. 1006 ¶¶ 9, 27, 49, 57, 61, 82, 85, 87, 132, 163, Figs. 1A, 1B).”)” slip op. at 9
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnessPatents in suitUS 8,396,808
Holdings, summaries, rulings, issues, outcomes, winners and claim constructions shown for a decision were generated by a large language model reading the opinion. They are a guide to the decision, not the decision. Confirm every one against the court's own text before relying on it. Outcomes read from the patent owner’s side. Party names are extracted from the decision and are missing on about 900 short Director denials and scans, which carry the trial number instead.