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Testing…Testing… FAA Selects Six Test Sites For Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 01.10.14

On December 30, the FAA announced its selection of six public entities that will develop unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research test sites around the country to define the operational and certification requirements necessary to further integrate UAS into the national airspace. The test sites will focus on the FAA's research goals in critical areas and are a key part of the UAS Roadmap, issued in November, to support the expanded use of civilian UAS by industries such as agriculture, law enforcement, and oil and gas exploration.

 

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Client Alert | 2 min read | 05.27.25

Federal Circuit Resolves Circuit Split on Scope of IPR Estoppel

As part of the 2012 America Invents Act, statutory estoppel was included to balance the interests of patent owners and patent challengers following an inter partes review (“IPR”).  Estoppel prevents an IPR petitioner from later asserting in court that a claim “is invalid on any ground that the petitioner raised or reasonably could have raised” during the IPR.  35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2).  As applied, estoppel prevents petitioners from later relying in district court or in ITC proceedings on most patents or printed publications – the limited bases upon which petitioner can rely in an IPR.  But a question remained, and contradictory district court decisions arose, as to whether petitioners would be estopped from relying on a prior art commercial product (known as “device art,” which could not itself have been raised in the IPR) even if a printed publication describing the product (i.e. a patent or technical manual) was available and presumably could have been raised. ...

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