“Squires rattles Meta, Google IPR with PTAB warning tangled up in $170M GoDaddy verdict”

Mike Word was quoted in the IAM article, “Squires rattles Meta, Google IPR with PTAB warning tangled up in $170M GoDaddy verdict.”  The article examines how USPTO Director John Squires’s intervention in a PTAB ruling could affect future patent disputes involving conflicting court and agency decisions. The case centers on a PTAB decision invalidating an Express Mobile patent tied to a $170 million jury verdict against GoDaddy. Squires criticized the PTAB for not fully explaining why it reached a different conclusion than the district court and ordered the matter reconsidered.

Michael Word notes that PTAB panels may now be more cautious about contradicting district court rulings unless challengers present substantially different arguments or evidence. He also highlights that USPTO guidance memoranda are becoming increasingly influential tools the director can use to revisit or reshape PTAB decisions.