Unpredictability, not Inherency, Important for Obviousness

In Honeywell International Inc. v. Mexichem Amanco Holding S.A. De C.V., No. 2016-1996, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 13909 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 1, 2017), the Federal Circuit vacated and remanded a PTAB decision, holding that an obviousness rej… Read More

Mass Spectrometry Method Not Patent Eligible in Ex Parte Appeal

The PTAB held that the claims in Ex parte Quimby, Appeal No. 2016-004681 (June 2, 2017) were directed toward unpatentable subject matter.  Of particular interest given the claim language, the Appellant was unsuccessful with argum… Read More

Patent-Eligibility Lessons from the PTAB (No. 1)

How is the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) addressing patent-eligibility rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 101 in ex parte appeals?  What arguments work, and what arguments fail, when you are trying to persuade the PTA… Read More

PTAB Finds Reasoning for 103 Rejection Insufficient in Ex Parte Appeal

Citing KSR Inti Co. v. Teleflex Inc, the PTAB in Ex Parte Mattisson (Appeal No. 2016-004484, April 14, 2017) agreed with the ex parte Appellants and reversed the Examiner’s rejection based on insufficient rationale to support an… Read More

“Substantially” is a Definite Term in Recent PTAB Decisions

Many practitioners view words of approximation, such as “substantially,” as useful tools to broaden claim language. MPEP §2173.05(b) states that words of approximation are acceptable if one of ordinary skill in the art would… Read More

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