Patent Planet: Federal Circuit - Network-1 Technologies, Inc. v. Hewlett Packard - Joining Party Can Challenge Validity On Different Grounds Than Raised in IPR

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Federal Circuit - Network-1 Technologies, Inc. v. Hewlett Packard - Joining Party Can Challenge Validity On Different Grounds Than Raised in IPR

In Network-1 Technologies, Inc. v. Hewlett Packard, the Federal Circuit held that a party joining an inter partes review (IPR) before Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) can later challenge patent validity in court as long the challenge is based on different grounds than those raised earlier in the IPR.

As a reminder, 35 U.S.C. § 315(e) estops a petitioner from challenging patent claims in court on grounds it "raised or reasonable could have raised" after a final decision in an IPR. The Federal Circuit explained a joining party is not estopped from raising grounds different than those when the IPR was instituted. In short, a party is only estopped from challenging in court on the grounds it "raised or reasonably could have raised" in the IPR.