Patent Judgments & Awards - Univ. of Fla. Bd. of Trustees v. Hartmann’s Plant Co., No. 1:16-CV-00027-MW-GRJ (N.D. Fla.) - The University of Florida obtained patents covering new varieties of blueberry plants that can be...more
Since its inception in 2012, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has invalidated a slew of patents in inter partes review (IPR), leading some to characterize the nascent body as the “patent death squad.” As such,...more
In a recent decision, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (the “PTAB”) held that a states’ sovereign immunity applies to patent inter partes review proceedings. Inter partes review is an alternative to traditional litigation...more
State Universities Gain Immunity from IPRs - Today, many universities own extensive patent portfolios that are managed by sophisticated tech transfer offices. Universities obtain these patents for many reasons, not the...more
In Covidien LP v. University of Florida Research Foundation Inc., the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (the “Board”) upheld a defense of sovereign immunity asserted by the University of Florida Research Foundation (the...more
On January 25, 2017, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board dismissed three petitions filed by Covidien LP challenging U.S. Patent No. 7,062,251 (the “’251 patent”) owned by the University of Florida Research Foundation Inc....more