Sterne Kessler Secures PTAB Victory for Palo Alto Networks against British Telecommunications—All Claims Unpatentable

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox secured a final written decision finding all claims unpatentable in an inter partes review at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) on behalf of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. The subject patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,895,641 (’641 patent), relates to deploying and providing a managed security monitoring service.

The ’641 patent and a related patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,159,237 (’237 patent), were asserted against Palo Alto Networks by British Telecommunications in a case, titled British Telecommunications PLC et al. v. Palo Alto Networks, Inc., No. 22-cv-01538-CJB (D.Del.). That case is currently stayed while the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reexamines the patentability of the ’237 patent. And now the PTAB’s final written decision has concluded that all claims 1-25 of the ’641 patent are unpatentable.

The Sterne Kessler team representing Palo Alto Networks included: Directors Jonathan Tuminaro, Michael D. Specht, and Dan Block as well as Associate Steve Pappas. The PTAB case is number IPR2023-00889, Palo Alto Network, Inc. v. BT Americas Inc.