Microsoft Secures Validity Review of AI Supercomputer Patent

Microsoft Corp. persuaded an administrative tribunal to review the validity of a patent its Azure AI system is accused of infringing.

Microsoft produced sufficient evidence that two prior patent applications and an academic article may render ParTec AG’s US Patent No. 11,537,442 obvious, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board said in a Tuesday decision granting inter partes review. The decision comes three weeks after the acting director of the US Patent and Trademark Office denied ParTec’s request to nix the challenge, finding Microsoft provided “persuasive evidence” the agency overlooked previous inventions when it issued the patent.

The German supercomputer maker ...