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PTAB.US: Decisions of PTAB Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Friday, January 28, 2011

REVERSED

1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1626 Ex Parte Elnagar et al 11/251,640 GRIMES 103(a) MR. EDGAR E. SPIELMAN, JR. ALBEMARLE CORPORATION EXAMINER STOCKTON, LAURA LYNNE

In re Tatincloux, 228 F.2d 238 (CCPA 1955), does not support the Examiner’s conclusion that the claimed concurrent process would have been an obvious modification of the prior art sequential processes. As the court later clarified, in Tatincloux’s method, “the process steps involved were entirely physical in nature,” In re Freed, 425 F.2d 785, 787 (CCPA 1970), and the holding in Tatincloux did not support a conclusion that “the performance of [a] reaction in one step, as claimed, was made obvious by the prior performance of the same reaction in two steps.” Id. at 786. The Freed court thus held that the rule of law relied on by the Examiner in the present appeal did not apply to Freed’s modification of a chemical reaction, previously performed in two steps, to be performed in a single step. Put another way, a conclusion of obviousness is based on the facts in each case, rather than a per se rule. See id. (“In this, as in any case, a determination of
obviousness must be based on facts and not on unsupported generalities.”).


1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1774 Ex Parte Lane et al 10/521,884 TIMM 103(a) MAGINOT, MOORE & BECK, LLP EXAMINER ORLANDO, AMBER ROSE

2400 Networking, Mulitplexing, Cable, and Security
2457 Ex Parte Cherkasova 10/429,797 STEPHENS 102(b)/103(a) HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY EXAMINER TODD, GREGORY G

3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
3652 Ex Parte Prentice 11/000,783 LEE 112(2)/102(b) CHERNOFF, VILHAUER, MCCLUNG & STENZEL, LLP EXAMINER LOWE, MICHAEL S

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3749 Ex Parte Von Gunten 10/454,341 SONG 103(a) Mark Manley Central Missouri State University EXAMINER WILSON, GREGORY A

AFFIRMED-IN-PART

2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2100 Ex Parte Bates et al 10/821,146 STEPHENS 101/112(1)/112(2) GRANT A. JOHNSON IBM CORPORATION, DEPT. 917 EXAMINER KISS, ERIC B

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design

3734 Ex Parte Field 10/196,151 GRIMES 102(b)/103(a) LOUIS WOO LAW OFFICE OF LOUIS WOO EXAMINER MENDOZA, MICHAEL G

REEXAMINATION

EXAMINER REVERSED


3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
2153 Ex parte INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUND 61 LLC 90/009,031 6,343,314 EASTHOM 103(a) Reed Smith LLP Third Party Requester: Shook Hardy and Bacon LLP EXAMINER RIMELL, SAMUEL G original EXAMINER DINH, DUNG C

EXAMINER AFFIRMED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
2643 Ex parte INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUND 61 LLC 90/009,015 6,437,818 EASTHOM 103(a) Reed Smith, LLP Shook, Hardy& Bacon, LLP EXAMINER STEELMAN, MARY J original EXAMINER RAMAKRISHNAIAH, MELUR

See Wyers v. Master Lock Co., 616 F.3d 1231, 1238 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (holding that references in a patent specification to prior art padlocks and broad scope of locking device claims indicated that padlocks were analogous art to trailer hitch lock devices, reasoning inter alia that KSR requires “us to construe the scope of analogous art broadly”) (citing and quoting KSR, 550 U.S. at 402).

KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 USPQ2d 1385 (2007) . . . . . . . . .2141 to 2145, 2216, 2242, 2286, 2616, 2642, 2686.04

EXAMINER AFFIRMED-IN-PART

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
2757 Ex parte INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUND 61 LLC 90/009,008 6,212,547 EASTHOM 103(a) Reed Smith LLP THIRD PARTY REQUESTER Tawni L. Wilhelm SHOOK, HARDY & BACON, LLP EXAMINER STEELMAN, MARY J original EXAMINER DINH, DUNG C

The material worked upon by an apparatus does not limit an apparatus claim. Ex parte Thibault, 164 USPQ 666, 667 (Bd. App. 1969) (“[E]xpressions relating the apparatus to contents thereof during an intended operation are of no significance in determining patentability of the apparatus claim.”).

Thibault, Ex parte, 164 USPQ 666 (Bd. App. 1969) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2115

EXAMINER AFFIRMED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
2643 Ex parte INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUND 61 LLC 90/009,079 6,972,786 EASTHOM 103(a) Reed Smith, LLP Third Party Requester: Tawni L. Wilhelm EXAMINER STEELMAN, MARY J original EXAMINER ENG, GEORGE

EXAMINER REVERSED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
3635 Ex parte JORGEN J. MOLLER, JR., Appellant 90/009,124 7,299,592 LEBOVITZ 103(a) FOR PATENT OWNER: HOLLAND & HART FOR THIRD PARTY REQUESTER: THORPE, NORTH & WESTERN, LLP EXAMINER LEWIS, AARON J original EXAMINER KWIECINSKI, RYAN D

EXAMINER AFFIRMED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
3744 Ex parte Mustang Engineering, L.P., Patent Owner and Appellant 90/009,379 7,318,319 ROBERTSON 102(b)/103(a) FOR PATENT OWNER: GILBRETH & ASSOCIATES, P.C. FOR THIRD-PARTY REQUESTER: TODD T. TUMEY EXAMINER FETSUGA, ROBERT M original EXAMINER EARLY, MICHAEL JACOBY

In addition, “[t]he prior art’s mere disclosure of more than one alternative does not constitute a teaching away from any of these alternatives because such disclosure does not criticize, discredit, or otherwise discourage the solution claimed….” In re Fulton, 391 F.3d 1195, 1201 (Fed. Cir. 2004).

Fulton, In re, 391 F.3d 1195, 73 USPQ2d 1141 (Fed. Cir. 2004) . . . . 2123, 2141.02, 2143.01, 2145

EXAMINER AFFIRMED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
3744 Ex parte Mustang Engineering, L.P., Patent Owner and Appellant 90/009,380 7,360,367 ROBERTSON 102(b)/103(a) FOR PATENT OWNER: GILBRETH & ASSOCIATES, P.C. FOR THIRD-PARTY REQUESTER: TODD T. TUMEY EXAMINER FETSUGA, ROBERT M original EXAMINER EARLY, MICHAEL JACOBY

EXAMINER AFFIRMED-IN-PART

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
3751 PENTEL CO., LTD. AND PENTEL OF AMERICA, LTD. Requestor and Respondent v. BENJAMIN J. KWITEK Patent Owner and Appellant 95/000,399 6,447,190 LEBOVITZ 102(b)/103(a) cc Patent Owner: LITMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD. cc Third Party Requester: Adams and Wilks EXAMINER CLARK, JEANNE MARIE original EXAMINER PRUNNER, KATHLEEN J

EXAMINER AFFIRMED-IN-PART

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
2153 Ex parte PRAGMATUS AV LLC 90/009,021 7,152,093 EASTHOM 103(a) Reed Smith LLP Third Party Requester: Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP EXAMINER RIMELL, SAMUEL G original EXAMINER REILLY, SEAN M

EXAMINER AFFIRMED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
2876 Ex parte TRANSACTION HOLDINGS LTD. LLC, Appellant and Patent Owner 90/008,323 6,945,457 TURNER Concurring EASTHOM 102(e)/103(a) cc: PATENT OWNER: TROUTMAN SANDERS LP THIRD PARTY REQUESTER: Douglas S. Foote NCR Corporation EXAMINER POKRZYWA, JOSEPH R original EXAMINER LE, THIEN MINH

EXAMINER AFFIRMED-IN-PART

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
2684 Ex parte TracFone Wireless, Inc. Appellant and Patent Owner 90/008,063 6,480,710 TURNER 102(b)/103(a) cc: PATENT OWNER: GREENBERG TRAURIG LLP (LA) THIRD-PARTY REQUESTER: JEFFERY L. CAMERON BROOKS & CAMERON PLLC EXAMINER WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS original EXAMINER NGUYEN, THUAN T

EXAMINER AFFIRMED-IN-PART

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
2684 Ex parte TracFone Wireless, Inc. Appellant and Patent Owner 90/008,065 6,625,439 TURNER 102(b)/103(a) PATENT OWNER: GREENBERG TRAURIG LLP (LA) THIRD-PARTY REQUESTER: JEFFERY L. CAMERON BROOKS & CAMERON PLLC EXAMINER WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS original EXAMINER NGUYEN, THUAN T

AFFIRMED

1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1644 Ex Parte Lotze et al 10/688,845 GRIMES 102(b) FOLEY AND LARDNER LLP EXAMINER JUEDES, AMY E

1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1716 Ex Parte Teutsch et al 10/399,547 HASTINGS 103(a) GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN EXAMINER MOORE, KARLA A

2400 Networking, Mulitplexing, Cable, and Security
2445 Ex Parte Knitter 10/635,815 HAHN 112(1)/112(2) HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY EXAMINER BIAGINI, CHRISTOPHER D

2600 Communications

2614 Ex Parte Moore et al 10/404,541 MacDONALD 103(a) VERIZON PATENT MANAGEMENT GROUP EXAMINER PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL

3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
3632 Ex Parte May et al 10/567,718 McCARTHY 102(b) ROBERT D. SHEDD, PATENT OPERATIONS THOMSON LICENSING LLC EXAMINER WUJCIAK, ALFRED J

REHEARING

DENIED

2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2179 Ex Parte Banatwala et al 10/744,302 STEPHENS 102 CAREY, RODRIGUEZ, GREENBERG & PAUL, LLP STEVEN M. GREENBERG EXAMINER LO, WEILUN