Ericsson Rejected by PTAB on Minnesota Regents Patent Challenges

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson won’t get a chance to invalidate Regents of the University of Minnesota telecom patents after the Patent Trial and Appeal Board said it was too late in filing such challenges.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tribunal declined to review the validity of six patents the university had accused the telecom company’s customers of infringing. The board said Ericsson’s relationship with the companies meant it was subject to the same one-year window they had to challenge the patents at the tribunal after being sued.

The decisions demonstrate how the board determines privity, or a close relationship, between ...