The America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA) significantly changed the US patent system by creating inter parte review (IPR), covered business method patent review (CBM), and post-grant review (PGR) procedures. These procedures gave third parties new tools for post-issuance patent challenges at the US Patent Trial Appeal Board (PTAB) in a relatively cost-effective and time-efficient manner, compared with patent litigation.
In FY 2014, which ended November 13, 2014, 2,077 IPR, 255 CBM, and two PGR petitions were filed. Most of...