The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) found invalid four Mirror Imaging patents directed to methods for organizing, storing and retrieving financial documents, concluding they cover an abstract idea without an integration into a practical application. In its decision, the PTAB applied the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) new eligibility guidance to determine whether patent applications contain abstract ideas, making them ineligible for patent protection under Section 101.
The reviews requested by Fidelity Information Services have been of particular interest for indications of how the board would apply the guidance in the context of an America Invents Act (AIA) review. The decisions are important “because they showed the board really thoughtfully considering and trying to apply the 101 guidance in a way that I think [USPTO director Andrei Iancu] intended,” said Finnegan partner Erika Arner. Finnegan represents petitioner Fidelity.
