Palo Alto Networks, Inc. v. Centripetal Networks, LLC, FKA Centripetal Networks, Inc.

D. BENJAMIN BORSON
Borson Law Group P.C.

PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC. V. CENTRIPETAL NETWORKS, LLC, FKA CENTRIPETAL NETWORKS, INC.; SLIP OP 2023-1636 (FEDERAL CIRCUIT).

Summary

PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC. ("PAN") SUCCESSFULLY petitioned for inter partes review (IPR) of claims 1-18 of Centripetal Networks, LLC’s ("Centripetal") U.S. Patent No. 10,530,903 (the "’903 patent"), asserting unpatentability for obviousness. The USPTO Patent and Appeal Board (PTAB) concluded that PAN had not established by a ‘preponderant evidence’ stanard that the claims would have been obvious over the combination of prior art references. Because the Federal Circuit held that the PTAB erred by failing to explain its holding and reasons regarding motivation to combine, the court vacated and remanded the case back to the PTAB.