Patent Board Won’t Greenlight Supercell Challenges to Gree IP

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has turned down requests from Finnish gaming company Supercell Oy to reconsider earlier decisions denying validity trials on patents owned by Japanese rival Gree Inc.

Supercell requested rehearings of the Patent and Trademark Office tribunal’s denial of post grant review trials on Gree’s 10,300,385 and 10,307,675 patents, which cover gaming technology. The board declined, writing that Supercell didn’t prove the tribunal misapplied agency precedent in turning down trials.

The board grappled with whether the precedential Apple Inc. v. Fintiv Inc. order, which came in an inter partes review proceeding, applies to a type ...