Columbia University loses at CAFC

The outcome:

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (“Columbia”) appeal from two final written decisions of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“the Board”) holding claim 1 of U.S patent 9,718,852 (“the ’852 patent”), claim 1 of U.S. Patent 9,719,139 (“the ’139 patent”), claim 1 of U.S. Patent 9,708,358 (“the ’358 patent”), claim 1 of U.S. Patent 9,725,480 (“the ’480 patent”), and claims 1–2 of U.S. Patent 9,868,985 (“the ’985 patent”) unpatentable as obvious. See Illumina, Inc. v. Trustees of Columbia Univ. in the City of New York, Nos. IPR2018-00291, IPR2018-00318, IPR2018- 00322, IPR2018-00385, 2018 WL 8619911 (P.T.A.B. June 21, 2019) (“Decision I”), J.A. 1–81; Illumina, Inc. v. Trustees of Columbia Univ. in the City of New York, No. IPR2018- 00797 (P.T.A.B. Sept. 9, 2019), J.A. 82–162 (“Decision II”). For the reasons detailed below, we affirm.

The arguments of Columbia:

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (“Columbia”) appeal from two final written decisions of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“the Board”) holding claim 1 of U.S patent 9,718,852 (“the ’852 patent”), claim 1 of U.S. Patent 9,719,139 (“the ’139 patent”), claim 1 of U.S. Patent 9,708,358 (“the ’358 patent”), claim 1 of U.S. Patent 9,725,480 (“the ’480 patent”), and claims 1–2 of U.S. Patent 9,868,985 (“the ’985 patent”) unpatentable as obvious. See Illumina, Inc. v. Trustees of Columbia Univ. in the City of New York, Nos. IPR2018-00291, IPR2018-00318, IPR2018- 00322, IPR2018-00385, 2018 WL 8619911 (P.T.A.B. June 21, 2019) (“Decision I”), J.A. 1–81; Illumina, Inc. v. Trustees of Columbia Univ. in the City of New York, No. IPR2018- 00797 (P.T.A.B. Sept. 9, 2019), J.A. 82–162 (“Decision II”). For the reasons detailed below, we affirm.