On March 23, 2016, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that the estoppel provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 315 do not extend to grounds rejected by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”) in a decision instituting inter partes review (“IPR”), permitting petitioners who ultimately lose on final written decision to re-raise in district court arguments that the Board had summarily rejected at the institution stage.

View full memo, Federal Circuit Limits Estoppel Arising Out of an Inter Partes Review