Sterne Kessler Secures Two Federal Circuit Wins on Behalf of Client Roku

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox recently secured two wins at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on behalf of Roku against Universal Electronics, Inc. In the first appeal, on June 11, 2024, Roku achieved a summary affirmance of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) decision invalidating as obvious Universal Electronics’ patent directed toward a universal remote controller for operating home appliances. In the second appeal, on June 18, 2024, the Federal Circuit vacated and remanded the PTAB’s decision upholding the validity of a different Universal Electronics patent—finding that the Board had applied an incorrect construction of a key claim term and instructing the Board to re-evaluate the obviousness issue, applying the correct construction.

The cases are 2023-1198, Universal Electronics, Inc. v. Roku, Inc., and 2023-1019, Roku, Inc. v. Universal Electronics, Inc., respectively. Sterne Kessler Director Richard A. Crudo argued for Roku in both matters. The Sterne Kessler team representing Roku at the Federal Circuit also includes Directors Lestin L. Kenton, Jr. and William H. Milliken; Counsel Sasha S. Rao; and Director Jon E. Wright (retired 12/31/2023).