Reissue vs. Reexamination in IPR and PGR Practice - Patents: Post-Grant Podcast
Never Surrender? Recapturing Subject Matter in Reissue Proceedings
As plant innovation moves into a new era—driven by climate adaptation, consumer preferences, and advanced breeding techniques—most attention on plant patents focuses on securing the initial grant. Yet, in rare instances,...more
Over the past couple of years we have discussed the important role a broadening or narrowing reissue can play in proper portfolio development and resuscitation of a patent or patent family after invalidation in court or the...more
In the mid-2000s, the U.S. Patent Office (USPTO) determined that reexaminations would be more consistent and legally correct if performed by a centralized set of experienced and specially trained Examiners. As a result, the...more
Reissue applications represent a very small fraction of the total number of applications filed at the USPTO each year. Indeed, at the midpoint of 2025, over 1.2 million utility applications have been filed, with less than 300...more
IN RE KOSTIC - Before Stoll, Clevenger, and Cunningham. Appeal from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. When considering whether a reissue claim broadens the scope of the original patent, the PTAB determines the actual scope...more
Takeaways: - Claim construction for determining whether reissue claims are improperly broadened is based on fundamental claim construction cannons and not applicant intentions. - Patent Owners should check patented claims...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial & Appeal Board’s rejection of a proposed reissue claim for being broader than the original claim, denying the inventors’ argument that the analysis...more
On March 13, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a five-year patent term extension (“PTE”) for Merck’s sugammadex patent, holding that the district court had correctly calculated PTE based on the...more
Takeaways - - Pre-AIA patents may be able to “swear behind” prior art applied in reissue and reexamination. - “Swearing behind” has limits and obtaining sufficient evidence to establish prior invention may be difficult to...more
Join Volpe Koenig for a webinar focused on various methods available for correcting patents after they have already issued. This session will explore the key processes and best practices related to correcting patents,...more
Takeaways - -Intra-patent claim inconsistencies are errors correctible via reissue. -Subtle legal distinctions in reissue may require PTAB appeals. Patent prosecution errors occur. One such error that occurs is...more
Takeaways - - Requestor submissions in reexamination proceedings are exempt from triggering IDS size fees. - Correcting filing benefit claims in reissue triggers the new continuing application fee. As we noted in our...more
Inter partes activity involving design patents at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) was relatively low in 2024. The PTAB rendered just two inter partes decisions involving design patents: Next Step Group, Inc. v....more
According to recent U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Office) data, the Office receives a burdensome number (13%) of information disclosure statements (IDSs) having in excess of 50 total items of information. 89 Fed. Reg....more
Patent Examiners rely upon the Manual of Patent Examination Procedure (MPEP) to instruct application of the law to the most common patent prosecution situations. The MPEP’s forward refers to itself as a “guidance document”...more
This month we take a deeper dive into petitions practice for cases handled by the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU). As noted in our previous article, issues of first impression sometimes arise in cases before the CRU where...more
Takeaways: 1. Patent owner statements present both risks and limited opportunities. 2. Waiving the patent owner statement shortens overall reexamination proceeding pendency. Every third party requester ex parte...more
Takeaways: - Patentees must demonstrate “unequivocal intent” to broaden claims in a broadening reissue. - To establish a broadening reissue, a patentee’s actions must align with their words within the two year statutory...more
Takeaways: 1. ODP in reexamination and reissue remains unpredictable despite Allergan 2. Patent Owners should carefully review ODP rejections to ensure they are proper Obviousness-type double patenting (ODP) is a legal...more