Inter partes review proceedings have become a popular mechanism for defendants to challenge the validity of a patent that is asserted in a district court litigation. Because IPRs typically move more quickly than district court litigation and can focus parties on validity issues early in a dispute, IPRs may encourage parties to consider early settlement of district court litigation.

Originally published in Bloomberg BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal, 91 PTCJ 725 - January 15, 2016.