IP Blog
motivation to combine
Single Reference Obviousness Rejection Requires No Motivation
Does an obviousness rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103 in which a single reference discloses each element require a motivation to combine with another reference? In Realtime Data, LLC v. Iancu, the Federal Circuit said no, upholding a rejection of claims of U.S. Patent No. 6,597,812 from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in an inter partes review. This case is...
Low Bar for USPTO to Show Motivation to Combine
A recent Federal Circuit case illustrates perils of trying to show that patent claims are non-obvious by arguing that references would not have been combined. In Bosch Automotive Service Solutions. LLC v. Matal, No. 2015-1928 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 22, 2017) (non-precedential), the court affirmed a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) finding of unpatentability, in an Inter Partes Review proceeding,...