Supreme Court hears IPR arguments

The Supreme Court Monday heard oral arguments in a case that biopharmaceutical companies hope will lead to the elimination of inter partes review, an administrative process for reviewing patent validity.

In Oil States Energy Services LLC v Greene’s Energy Group LLC et al., the Supreme Court is being asked to determine if the IPR process violates the U.S. Constitution. Oil States, which had patent claims invalidated through an IPR case, asserts that IPR violates the constitution because patents are property rights that can be confiscated or terminated only through a judicial process...