Inter partes reexamination ruling reversed in favor of Finnegan client Asetek

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) reversed a rejection of all patent claims in an inter partes reexamination filed against an Asetek patent related to pioneering computer cooling technology. Asetek previously asserted the patent in two separate district court litigations in the Northern District of California. Finnegan handled both cases, including one that went to a jury trial decision. Throughout the reexamination, Finnegan argued that the examiner had applied the wrong standard to interpret the claims, which resulted in an overly broad construction. The PTAB judges agreed and reversed the examiner on all issues, thus preserving the patent in full force.