Fed. Circ. Slams PTAB For Not Explaining Why It Axed Patent

By Matthew Bultman

Law360, New York (January 22, 2016, 5:58 PM ET) -- The Federal Circuit vacated a decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in an America Invents Act review on Friday, after ruling the board didn’t adequately describe its reasons for finding a Cutsforth Inc. brush holder patent was invalid.

In a rare reversal of a PTAB inter partes review decision, the appeals court said the PTAB made “broad, conclusory statements” in an October 2014 analysis that determined Cutsforth’s patent was invalid because it was obvious.

“The majority of the Board’s Final Written Decision is spent...