In another noteworthy year for patent law, the U.S. Supreme
Court and the Federal Circuit issued several decisions that altered
the patent landscape, including three Supreme Court decisions. The
topics of the key cases included whether "secret sales"
qualify as prior art, standing to appeal an inter partes
review ("IPR") decision, whether federal agencies can
petition for IPR, sovereign immunity, and whether the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office ("PTO") can recover attorneys'
fees.
This White Paper summarizes and explains some of the
most significant patent law decisions of 2019. Each of these
decisions has meaningful implications for patent owners,
defendants, and patent practitioners alike.
