Iancu’s Impact on Patent Board Plays Out in Precedents

Patent and Trademark Office Director Andrei Iancu wanted to make a mark on the agency, and the surge in the number of patent appeal decisions considered precedent setting has become one of his hallmarks.

In 2019, the agency’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board has designated 11 decisions as precedential, compared to 14 total over the previous six years. The increase fits into Iancu’s effort to make PTAB processes more consistent and transparent, a mission he’s laid out in both speeches and actions since taking office in 2018.

Under Iancu’s leadership, the PTAB ended the prior practice of expanding judge panels ...