On April 14, 2016, the Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB's decision in favor of Finnegan client Square, which invalidated three "universal credit card" apparatus patents asserted by eCharge Licensing LLC.
eCharge claimed that Square infringed by offering an app that converts a smartphone or other device "into a credit card apparatus as claimed" in the patent. Square challenged all the patents in inter partes reviews and on May 14, 2015, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) ruled in favor Square, invalidating all three patents.
