Reexams Surge Again in Q1—Prompting USPTO to Take Limiting Measures
May 27, 2026
At a recent Congressional hearing, USPTO Director John Squires responded to pointed questions about changes impacting the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) over the past year. Squires told legislators that even under new processes govern...
Read full postJudge Connolly Rises in Rankings as IP Edge Reboots After Scrutiny in His Court
May 20, 2026
Eastern District of Texas Judge Rodney Gilstrap was once again the nation’s top patent judge last quarter, overseeing 19% of all new patent litigation in Q1 2026. In second place at 6% was Delaware District Judge Colm F. Connolly, who is ...
Read full postPTAB Institution Rate Settles at Lower Level Under Director Squires
May 13, 2026
Since early 2025, the USPTO has revamped the standards and processes governing America Invents Act (AIA) review institution in a manner that has effectively limited access to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Last February, then-Act...
Read full postEast Texas, Once Again the Top District, Saw Notable Verdicts in Q1
April 29, 2026
The Eastern District of Texas was the top patent district for overall litigation (i.e., with no filter for plaintiff type) and NPE litigation in Q1 2026, also holding the number-two spot for operating company litigation. In second for overa...
Read full postPTAB Petitions Plummeted in First Quarter as USPTO Continued to Limit AIA Review
April 22, 2026
Over the past year, the USPTO has made series of changes that have significantly limited the availability of America Invents Act (AIA) review. On February 28, 2025, then-Acting USPTO Director Coke Morgan Stewart withdrew a 2022 guidance iss...
Read full postPatent Litigation Held Steady in Q1 2026
April 15, 2026
NPEs added 495 defendants to patent litigation campaigns in Q1 2026, a decrease of 18% compared to Q1 2025 (when NPEs added 604 defendants). NPE litigation in the first quarter of 2026 exceeded the trailing Q1 average for 2023-2025 by 10% b...
Read full postE-Seller Litigation Remained Lower in Q4 Following Rule Changes in Key Districts
March 18, 2026
RPX’s latest quarterly report shows that litigation from operating company plaintiffs increased by 26% in Q4 2025 compared to the fourth quarter last year. Operating company filings last quarter were also 26% higher than in Q3 2025 and we...
Read full postMonetization Firms, Familiar Individuals, and Inventor-Controlled Plaintiffs Target E-Commerce and Software Products in Q4
March 11, 2026
The top market sector for NPE litigation in Q4 2025 was E-Commerce and Software, accounting for 36% of the defendants added to patent litigation campaigns during the quarter. Consumer Electronics and PCs saw the second highest amount of NPE...
Read full postReexams Spiked Further in Q4 as USPTO Continued to Tighten IPR Limits
March 4, 2026
As the USPTO continues to make changes limiting access to America Invents Act (AIA) review, petitioners have responded by filing more and more ex parte reexaminations—which, while slower than inter partes reviews (IPRs), are not subject t...
Read full postJudge Gilstrap Was Still on Top in 2025, but Judge Albright Stayed in the News
February 18, 2026
The top district judge for patent litigation in 2025 was Eastern District of Texas Judge Rodney Gilstrap, who oversaw 19% of all new patent litigation this past year. Notably, Judge Gilstrap also presided over trials that led to five of the...
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