PTAB Adopts The Phillips Claim Construction Standard In AIA Proceedings

Today the Patent Trial and Appeal Board announced a final rule changing the claim construction standard for interpreting claims in inter partes review ("IPR"), post-grant review ("PGR"), and covered business method patent ("CBM") proceedings. The Board retired the broadest reasonable interpretation ("BRI") standard in favor of the standard used to construe patent claims in federal court and the International Trade Commission ("ITC") as articulated in Phillips v. AWH Corp. In doing so, the Board announced that it will now consider prior constructions, either from a federal district court or the ITC, in construing a claim term in an IPR, PGR, or CBM, where such prior constructions are timely made of record. This rule change is another positive development for patent owners and should provide for consistent construction of the same term across multiple tribunals going forward.