Spotlight On Upcoming Oral Arguments – September 2017

Knowles Electronics LLC v. Cirrus Logic, Inc., No. 16-2010, Courtroom 203

In this appeal, the Federal Circuit will decide whether a party has standing to participate in an inter partes reexamination proceeding if the original requester is acquired while the reexamination was pending.  Knowles argues that the Board erred in permitting the Cirrus entities to participate because neither Cirrus entity filed the reexamination request or established that it was a successor-in-interest to the original requestor.  Cirrus Logic argues that the Board properly permitted it to participate because it acquired the original requester and Cirrus UK Ltd. is the same legal entity as the original requester.