Federal Circuit PTAB Appeal Statistics – December 2016

Through December 1, 2016, the Federal Circuit decided 141 PTAB appeals from IPRs and CBMs. The Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB on every issue in 109 (77.30%) of the cases, and reversed or vacated the PTAB on every issue in 11 (7.80%) of the cases. A mixed outcome on appeal, where at least one issue was affirmed and at least one issue was vacated or reversed, occurred in 13 (9.22%) of the cases.

The court dismissed 8 (5.67%) of the cases without rendering a decision on the merits. Dismissals may occur, for example, where the Federal Circuit determines that it does not have jurisdiction to hear a case, such as in an appeal from a PTAB institution decision. As the Supreme Court established in Cuozzo Speed Techs., LLC v. Lee, the Federal Circuit is barred from considering appeals from institution decisions under 35 U.S.C. § 314(d). Dismissals may also result from settlements among the parties to the appeal, or where the court determines that a prior decision