Polaris Joins Chorus Asking High Court to Nix PTAB Judge Fix

Polaris Innovations Ltd. has added its name to a growing list of parties who want the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Federal Circuit decision stripping job protections from patent office tribunal judges.

In Arthrex Inc. v. Smith & Nephew Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found Patent Trial and Appeal Board judges had so much power they should have been nominated by the U.S. president and confirmed by the Senate. The court severed job protections to change them from principal to inferior officers who could constitutionally be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.

Polaris argues ...