Flying high: the PTAB’s pilot scheme for one-judge reviews

In August the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice seeking comments on a potential pilot programme aimed at addressing patent owners’ concerns of bias surrounding inter partes review (IPR) proceedings and easing the strain on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) resources. Currently, a three-judge panel reviews a petition for an IPR for compliance with statutory requirements. If the panel decides to institute a review of the challenged patent, the same judges preside over the remainder of the IPR proceeding.