USPTO Chief Issues First Wave of Patent Challenge Decisions

The US Patent and Trademark Office’s chief issued a first wave of decisions on whether an administrative tribunal will hear validity challenges to six patents that are being simultaneously litigated in infringement lawsuits in federal district courts, allowing some tech giants to proceed while blocking others.

Acting Director Coke Morgan Stewart, in four discretionary denial decisions, allowed challenges from Amazon.com Inc. and Twitch Interactive Inc. to move toward a hearing before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, while rejecting two joint petitions from telecom companies Ericsson Inc. and Verizon Wireless and semiconductor companies Arm Ltd. and Mediatek Inc. due in ...