Xilinx proves unpatentability of third party patent claims in USPTO IPR and at Federal Circuit

Client(s) Xilinx, Inc.

Jones Day successfully represented Xilinx, Inc. in defending patent claims asserted by PLL Technologies, Inc. in the District of Delaware as well as before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) in an inter partes review (IPR) challenge to the patent and on the subsequent appeal to the Federal Circuit. The patent is generally directed to a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit for providing clock synthesis and synchronization. During the IPR, Xilinx provided the PTAB with prior art references that had not been considered by the USPTO during the original examination of the PLL patent. At the conclusion of the IPR, the PTAB concluded that Xilinx had proven that all the patent claims under review were unpatentable. On appeal to the Federal Circuit, Xilinx again prevailed in convincing the appellate court that the PTAB’s determination of unpatentability was correct. The Federal Circuit issued judgment in Xilinx’s favor and the lawsuit in Delaware was dismissed.

PLL Technologies, Inc. v. Xilinx, Inc., Case Nos. 1-14-cv-00945 (D. Del.), 16-02219 (Fed. Cir.); Xilinx, Inc. v. PLL Technologies, Inc., IPR No. 2015-00148 (PTAB)