PTAB challenges

Proceedings overview

There is currently one AIA trial proceeding on file for US Patent 11258107, which is an active Inter Partes Review (IPR) petition. As the IPR is still in the preliminary stages, no claims have been invalidated or sustained by the PTAB yet. This means the patent has not yet been subjected to substantive review by the PTAB.

IPR2026-00378 — Tesla Inc. v. Christopher B. Austin

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2026-06-18
• Status: Pending. The petition has been filed and is awaiting preliminary review by the PTAB.
• Judge panel: Not yet assigned or publicly available given the very recent filing date.
• Petition grounds: Details regarding specific claims challenged, prior art cited, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103) are not yet publicly available in the USPTO PTAB E2E system for such a newly filed petition. A review of the petition itself would be required to ascertain these details.
• Institution decision: Not yet issued. The institution decision is typically due approximately six months from the petition filing date.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not applicable. A Final Written Decision has not been issued as the proceeding is pending.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable. The proceeding is pending and has not been settled or terminated.
• Appeal: Not applicable. No Final Written Decision has been issued to appeal.
• Defensive value: This proceeding indicates that Tesla Inc. is challenging the patent. However, as it is only a recently filed petition and has not reached institution, the patent's claims remain presumptively valid from a PTAB perspective for now. A defendant currently facing assertion would need to monitor this proceeding closely for the institution decision, which will determine if a trial will proceed.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US Patent 11258107 are UNTESTED by a Final Written Decision from the PTAB. The single pending IPR (IPR2026-00378) has just been filed and has not yet reached the institution phase. Therefore, there are no claims that have been canceled or definitively sustained by the PTAB.

The estoppel landscape is minimal at this stage. Since no IPR has been instituted or concluded, there are no grounds for estoppel under § 315(e)(2) for Tesla Inc. or its privies related to this specific patent. For other potential defendants, all prior-art grounds remain available for challenging the patent, as no claims have been affirmed as patentable over specific prior art by the PTAB. There is no pattern of multiple IPR filings by the same petitioner on this patent, nor is there information on aggressive PTAB appeal strategies by the patent owner, given the lack of past decisions.

Recommended next steps

If you are a defendant facing assertion of US Patent 11258107, you should:

• Monitor IPR2026-00378 closely: The next critical milestone for IPR2026-00378 is the institution decision, which is typically due within approximately six months of the filing date (around 2026-12-18). This decision will determine whether the PTAB will proceed to a full trial on the challenged claims.
• Review the IPR petition: Obtain and review the petition filed by Tesla Inc. for IPR2026-00378 to understand the specific claims being challenged, the prior art asserted, and the legal grounds for unpatentability. This will provide insight into potential weaknesses of the patent.
• Consider filing your own IPR: If your infringement theories rely on claims challenged in IPR2026-00378, waiting for the outcome might be an option. However, if your theories involve different claims or different prior art, or if you wish to avoid potential estoppel issues associated with Tesla's challenge, filing your own IPR may be advisable.
• Consult with counsel: Engage experienced PTAB counsel to analyze the petition, assess the strength of the challenged claims, and advise on optimal defensive strategies.