Inventor Group Can’t Wade Into Tech’s Patent Rule Challenge

An inventor group can’t intervene in a lawsuit that Apple Inc. and other companies brought against the patent office over a rule that has made it harder to challenge patents, a California district court judge ruled.

Judge Edward Davila of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said the lawsuit, which takes aim at the patent office’s NHK-Fintiv rule, would be “changed dramatically” if US Inventor were allowed to insert itself into the case.

The rule authorizes the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to exercise its discretion and deny review based on the state of a...