Amazon.com, Inc. and Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
("Amazon") filed a petition for inter partes
review challenging the validity of AC Technologies S.A.'s
("AC") U.S. Patent No. 7,904,680. See
IPR2015-01802. Amazon asserted three grounds of
unpatentability in the petition. The Board instituted review
on all challenged claims, but on only the first two grounds of
unpatentability. After a full trial and oral argument, the
Board issued a final written decision finding some, but not all, of
the claims unpatentable. Amazon then moved for
reconsideration, noting that in light of the Supreme Court's
decision in SAS, the Board should have also considered the
third ground. The Board agreed, permitted both parties to
submit additional arguments, expert declarations, and supporting
exhibits, and then found the remaining claims invalid based on the
third ground of unpatentability. AC appealed the decision,
arguing that the Board exceeded its authority and deprived it of
due