PTAB challenges

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding is on file for US11756371, currently active and in the trial instituted phase. This means the claims have not yet been adjudicated, and the patent owner faces an ongoing challenge to the patent's validity. This gives a defendant an active opportunity to monitor the proceeding for potential claim invalidation, but the patent's claims remain presumptively valid until a Final Written Decision is issued.

IPR2025-01078 — Light & Wonder, Inc. et al. v. Evolution Malta Limited

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-05-30
• Status: Trial Instituted (The PTAB has decided to initiate a review of the patent claims based on the petitioner's arguments and evidence. The trial is now underway to determine the patentability of the challenged claims).
• Judge panel: Information not publicly available yet at this stage from the provided source.
• Petition grounds: Details regarding specific claims challenged, prior art, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) are typically found in the institution decision, which is not fully detailed in the provided information. However, the litigation data indicates the petitioner is Light & Wonder, Inc., and the proceeding is pending - Instituted.
• Institution decision: Instituted (2025-05-30 as the filing date, with an anticipated institution date usually within 6 months of filing, so around late 2025). The provided information states the status as "Trial Instituted," indicating the board has granted the petition. Specific reasoning for institution would be in the public institution decision document itself.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued. The status is "Trial Instituted."
• Settlement / termination: Not yet settled or terminated.
• Appeal: Not applicable, as a Final Written Decision has not been issued.
• Defensive value: This active IPR proceeding indicates that the validity of at least some claims of US11756371 is currently being challenged by a third party. A defendant facing assertion can monitor this proceeding for potential invalidation of claims, which could weaken the patent owner's case.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US11756371 remain presumptively valid as the single identified IPR (IPR2025-01078) is in the "Trial Instituted" phase, meaning a Final Written Decision has not yet been issued. Therefore, no claims are presently CANCELED or SUSTAINED through a PTAB final decision, and all claims are considered UNTESTED in terms of a final, binding PTAB judgment. The patent owner, Evolution Malta Limited, is actively defending the patent against the challenge brought by Light & Wonder, Inc. et al.

The estoppel landscape has not yet fully formed for US11756371. Once IPR2025-01078 concludes with a Final Written Decision, § 315(e)(2) will bar the petitioner (Light & Wonder, Inc. et al.) and its privies from asserting in other venues (e.g., district court) any invalidity ground that was raised or reasonably could have been raised in the IPR. For a new defendant, however, prior-art grounds not addressed in the IPR (or not meeting the "reasonably could have raised" standard) would still be available. Unified Patents is listed as a source for the PTAB data, indicating their potential involvement or monitoring of the proceeding, which can sometimes signal a coordinated defensive effort against asserted patents.

Recommended next steps

As IPR2025-01078 is ongoing with a "Trial Instituted" status, the next key milestones to monitor are:

• Institution Decision: The "Effective date" of the IPR is 2025-05-30. The PTAB has a statutory deadline to issue a Final Written Decision within one year of institution, meaning a FWD would be due around May 30, 2026.
• Oral Hearing: Typically occurs a few months before the FWD.
• Final Written Decision (FWD): This is the most critical upcoming milestone, as it will determine the patentability of the challenged claims. A defendant should actively track the FWD for IPR2025-01078.

If you are a defendant, closely monitor the progress of IPR2025-01078. The institution decision would outline the specific claims challenged and the grounds on which the trial was instituted. The eventual Final Written Decision, when issued, will provide the definitive outcome for the challenged claims. Access to the institution decision and ultimately the Final Written Decision can be found on the USPTO PTAB E2E system.