PTAB Relies on Priority Analysis in a Related Proceeding in Denying IPR

Jan 17, 2018

Reading Time : 1 min

ESET argued that the claims of the ’086 Patent are obvious in view of several combinations of prior art references, primarily relying on a reference titled Proof-Carrying Code (“Necula”). In the 01444 proceeding, Finjan argued that FireEye had failed to establish that Necula antedated the priority date of the ’086 Patent. ESET argued that the ’086 Patent was not entitled to a priority date antedating Necula because none of the patents or patent applications from which the ’086 Patent claimed benefit disclosed the specific limitations claimed by the ’086 Patent. The PTAB stated that it had analyzed the claims of the ’926 Patent in the 00145 proceeding and sided with the patent owner, finding that the disclosure provided sufficient written-description support. The PTAB noted that the claims of the ’086 Patent at issue contained limitations that were nearly identical to those of the ’926 Patent. For example, Claim 1 of the ’926 Patent recites “appending a representation of the retrieved Downloadable security profile data to the incoming Downloadable, to generate and appended Downloadable,” and Claim 1 of the ’086 Patent recites the same limitation without the words “retrieved” and “incoming”.

Given that the claim language of the ’926 Patent was nearly identical to that of the ’086 Patent, the PTAB held that the ’086 Patent shares essentially the same disclosure as the ’926 Patent. The PTAB also noted that the ’086 Patent incorporates the ’926 Patent by reference. The PTAB therefore denied ESET’s petition and joinder motion.

ESET, LLC v. Finjan, Inc., IPR2017-01969, Paper No. 8 (PTAB January 9, 2018).

Share This Insight

Previous Entries

IP Newsflash

October 1, 2025

In a recent final written decision, the PTAB determined that a reference patent was not prior art, despite the petitioner’s post‑filing attempt to correct its petition. While the petitioner argued that it intended to rely on the patent application’s earlier date of publication, both the corrected petition and the expert declaration continued to reference the issued patent rather than the published application.

...

Read More

IP Newsflash

September 30, 2025

The USPTO Director recently granted a petitioner’s request for rehearing of the decision discretionarily denying institution of inter partes review, ultimately vacating the original decision, and referring the petition to the board for an institution decision.

...

Read More

IP Newsflash

September 25, 2025

In considering claims to a method of reducing cardiovascular events, the Federal Circuit held that the term a “clinically proven effective” amount did not render the claims patentable over the prior art. Specifically, the Federal Circuit held that the “clinically proven effective” amount, whether limiting or not, could not be used to distinguish the prior art because the claims also specified the exact amount of the drugs to be administered in the method. The Federal Circuit also rejected patentee’s evidence of unexpected results because that evidence was tied solely to the “clinically proven effective” limitation.

...

Read More

IP Newsflash

September 24, 2025

The Federal Circuit reversed a district court’s denial of judgment as a matter of law on non-infringement, thereby setting aside a $106 million jury verdict, after holding that prosecution history estoppel barred the patentee from asserting infringement under the doctrine of equivalents.

...

Read More

IP Newsflash

September 17, 2025

A magistrate judge in the District of Delaware issued a Report and Recommendation, that found the sole asserted claim was a “single means” claim and therefore invalid for lack of enablement. In reaching that conclusion, the magistrate judge rejected the patentee’s argument that the preamble of the claim disclosed a second element that satisfied the combination requirement of Section 112, paragraph 6 because the preamble simply recited a descriptor of the very apparatus that was the subject of the means-plus-function limitation in the body of the claim. The district court judge presiding over this case has scheduled a hearing to review the magistrate’s ruling.

...

Read More

IP Newsflash

September 9, 2025

The Federal Circuit has affirmed the PTAB’s determination that a patent challenger did not show the challenged claims were unpatentable for obviousness. The Federal Circuit concluded that substantial evidence, which included expert testimony, showed there was no motivation to combine the references.

...

Read More

IP Newsflash

August 29, 2025

In a recent order addressing four IPR proceedings, the PTAB exercised its inherent authority under 37 C.F.R. § 42.5(a) to sua sponte authorize post-hearing discovery on a potentially dispositive privity issue. The order followed a Director review decision that vacated and remanded earlier IPRs involving the same parties, patent family, and privity issue. 

...

Read More

IP Newsflash

August 29, 2025

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board denied institution of an inter partes review petition in part because it determined that a patent reference was not prior art under the common ownership exception of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103(c)(1).

...

Read More

© 2025 Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. All rights reserved. Attorney advertising. This document is distributed for informational use only; it does not constitute legal advice and should not be used as such. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Akin is the practicing name of Akin Gump LLP, a New York limited liability partnership authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 267321. A list of the partners is available for inspection at Eighth Floor, Ten Bishops Square, London E1 6EG. For more information about Akin Gump LLP, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and other associated entities under which the Akin Gump network operates worldwide, please see our Legal Notices page.