PTAB challenges

Proceedings overview

Currently, there is one active AIA trial proceeding on US Patent 11018678. This Inter Partes Review (IPR) is in the very early stages of its lifecycle, having been filed just yesterday. For a defendant facing assertion of this patent, the defensive posture is that the patent's validity is currently being challenged, but no claims have been invalidated or sustained by the PTAB yet.

IPR2026-00385 — Optiver US LLC et al. v. HFT Solutions LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2026-06-04
• Status: Pending - The petition has been filed and the Patent Owner has not yet submitted a preliminary response. The PTAB has not yet decided whether to institute the trial.
• Judge panel: Not yet assigned or publicly available at this early stage.
• Petition grounds: The petition grounds are not yet publicly available in detail via the USPTO PTAB E2E portal at this nascent stage of the proceeding.
• Institution decision: Not yet issued. The institution decision is typically due within three months of the Patent Owner's preliminary response or six months from the petition filing date if no preliminary response is filed, but no later than 12 months after the petition filing.
• Final Written Decision: Not applicable; no institution decision has been made.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable; the proceeding is in its initial stage.
• Appeal: Not applicable; no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: This IPR indicates a challenge to the patent's validity, which could be a significant factor for any entity being asserted against. However, since it is newly filed, it provides no definitive outcome yet. Its existence means potential infringers could monitor its progress for a possible invalidation of claims, which would significantly weaken the patent owner's position.

Strategic summary

As of today, 2026-06-05, all claims of US Patent 11018678 remain UNTESTED by a Final Written Decision from the PTAB. IPR2026-00385, filed by Optiver US LLC et al., is the sole proceeding and is in its very nascent "Pending" stage. This means no claims have been canceled or sustained by the PTAB.

The estoppel landscape is currently undefined as there is no Final Written Decision. If IPR2026-00385 proceeds to a Final Written Decision, the petitioner (Optiver US LLC et al.) and their privies would be estopped from raising any ground raised or reasonably could have raised against the patent claims in future proceedings or civil actions, per 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2). However, for other potential defendants, all prior-art grounds remain available for challenge.

There is no discernible pattern signal yet, as this is the first recorded IPR against the patent. The petitioner, Optiver US LLC, is known to be involved in high-frequency trading, which aligns with the patent's claimed use in high-frequency trading (HFT).

Recommended next steps

For any entity currently facing assertion of US Patent 11018678, the primary next step would be to closely monitor the progress of IPR2026-00385. Key trial-stage milestones to watch for include:

• Patent Owner's Preliminary Response: Typically due within three months of the IPR petition filing (i.e., by approximately 2026-09-04).
• Institution Decision Deadline: The PTAB must decide whether to institute the IPR trial within three months of the Patent Owner's preliminary response, or by approximately 2026-12-04 if no preliminary response is filed.
• Final Written Decision Due Date: If instituted, the PTAB has a statutory 1-year trial deadline from the institution date to issue a Final Written Decision.

The absence of prior PTAB activity (until now) and prior litigation may suggest that the patent has not been extensively asserted in the past, or that previous assertions were resolved without public PTAB challenges or court filings.

Monitor the official record for IPR2026-00385 on the USPTO PTAB E2E system for updates regarding institution, judge panel assignment, and, eventually, a Final Written Decision.

https://ptab.uspto.gov/#/search/document?proceedingNumber=IPR2026-00385