On March 8, 2017, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) found all claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,420,151 (“the ‘151 patent”) unpatentable following an inter partes review (IPR) trial. The ‘151 Patent is directed to short wavelength visible reflectance imaging technology and is assigned to Novadaq Technologies, Inc. (NVDQ). WHIPgroup previously conducted oral argument on behalf of its client in December 2016, contending that each claim of the ‘151 Patent was either anticipated or obvious over the prior art. In its Final Written Decision, the PTAB found WHIPgroup’s arguments persuasive and held all the claims of the patent invalid.
WHIPgroup attorneys successfully appealed an obviousness rejection for a patent application directed to a flexible medical instrument. WHIPgroup argued that one skilled in the art would not appreciate the prior art’s “pinion and rack gears” [Read More…]
By Benjamin N. Luehrs and Hao Zhang Inter Partes Review (IPR) is an effective procedure for invalidating a competitor’s patent whereby a petitioner cites other patents and printed publications (i.e., “prior art”) to argue that [Read More…]
By Hao Zhang and Patrick D. Duplessis U.S. inventors seeking to protect their IP rights worldwide often file foreign patent applications in markets where they conduct business or where they are likely to find infringers [Read More…]