PTAB challenges

Proceedings overview

There is one active AIA trial proceeding for U.S. Patent No. 11,389,026, which is currently in the "Trial Instituted" phase. This means that at least some claims of the patent are currently being challenged at the PTAB. For a defendant facing assertion of this patent, this ongoing IPR introduces uncertainty regarding the validity of the challenged claims, and the outcome will significantly shape the defensive posture.

IPR2025-01529 — RJ Brands, LLC d/b/a Chefman v. Sharkninja Operating LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-09-12
• Status: Trial Instituted (as of 2026-05-22). This proceeding is ongoing, with the PTAB having decided to move forward with a review of the challenged claims.
• Judge panel: Not publicly available from the provided patent text or initial search.
• Petition grounds: The available information indicates that the IPR was instituted, but the specific claims challenged, the prior art asserted, and the statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) are not provided in the prompt's patent text or the initial search results.
• Institution decision: Instituted. The date of institution is not explicitly stated, but the "last modified" date for the status is 2026-05-22. The panel's reasoning for institution is not available from the provided data.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued, as the proceeding status is "Trial Instituted."
• Settlement / termination: Not settled or terminated, as the proceeding is active and in trial.
• Appeal: No appeal activity, as a Final Written Decision has not yet been issued.
• Defensive value: Since trial has been instituted, the patentability of the challenged claims is currently under review by the PTAB. A defendant facing assertion of this patent should monitor this proceeding closely, as an unfavorable outcome for the patent owner (i.e., claims being canceled) could significantly weaken the patent's enforceability. Conversely, if the claims are sustained, it would strengthen the patent against future challenges on the same grounds.

Strategic summary

Currently, the patent U.S. Patent No. 11,389,026 is undergoing one Inter Partes Review, IPR2025-01529, initiated by RJ Brands, LLC d/b/a Chefman. This proceeding has been instituted for trial, meaning the PTAB has found a reasonable likelihood that at least one challenged claim is unpatentable. Specific details regarding which claims are challenged, the prior art cited, and the statutory grounds are not available in the provided information. Therefore, it is currently unknown which claims are under direct threat of cancellation. All claims of the patent, beyond those specifically challenged and instituted, remain untested by this particular IPR.

The estoppel landscape will be determined by the eventual Final Written Decision (FWD) in IPR2025-01529. If claims are found unpatentable, the petitioner (RJ Brands, LLC d/b/a Chefman) and its privies or real parties-in-interest will be estopped from asserting any ground that was raised or reasonably could have been raised during the IPR against the invalidated claims (§ 315(e)(2)). For other potential defendants, the prior art grounds not included in this IPR, or claims not challenged, would still be available for a new IPR petition or other invalidity defenses. The current status doesn't reveal any aggressive pattern signals from the patent owner or petitioner beyond the single instituted IPR.

Recommended next steps

• Monitor IPR2025-01529 for further developments. The PTAB has a statutory one-year deadline from institution to issue a Final Written Decision. Key upcoming milestones would include any oral hearing and the eventual FWD.
• Access the public records for IPR2025-01529 on the USPTO PTAB E2E system to determine the specific claims challenged, the prior art asserted, and the PTAB's reasoning for institution. This information is crucial for understanding the scope of the challenge and the potential impact on the patent.
  • Link to IPR2025-01529: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/ptab/case/IPR2025-01529