PTAB challenges

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding has been filed against US patent 11936876. This Inter Partes Review is currently pending, meaning the patent claims are still undergoing review and their patentability has not yet been finally determined. This presents a dynamic defensive posture for a defendant, as the outcome of the IPR could significantly impact the scope and enforceability of the patent.

IPR2026-00193 — Amazon.com, Inc. et al. v. InterDigital VC Holdings Inc

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2026-01-09
• Status: Pending. The petition has been filed and is awaiting a decision on institution by the PTAB.
• Judge panel: Not yet publicly available as the institution decision is pending.
• Petition grounds: Specific claims, prior art references, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) for the petition are not publicly detailed at this stage without access to the full petition document.
• Institution decision: Pending. The deadline for the institution decision is typically six months from the filing date, which would be around 2026-07-09.
• Final Written Decision: Not yet issued.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable at this pending stage.
• Appeal: Not applicable at this pending stage.
• Defensive value: This active IPR presents an opportunity for claims to be invalidated or narrowed. A defendant facing assertion should closely monitor this proceeding, as an institution decision in favor of the petitioner would significantly devalue the patent's asserted claims. If institution is granted, the claims will be subject to further challenge. If institution is denied, the claims are considered to have survived an initial challenge.

Strategic summary

Currently, the patent US11936876 has all its claims (1-18) in an untested status regarding their patentability through an AIA trial, as the sole IPR (IPR2026-00193) filed against it is still pending institution. No claims have been canceled or sustained by the PTAB yet. The patent owner, InterDigital VC Holdings Inc, is facing a challenge from Amazon.com, Inc. et al.. The outcome of this IPR will be critical in determining the future landscape of this patent.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, if IPR2026-00193 is instituted and proceeds to a Final Written Decision, § 315(e)(2) of the AIA would bar the petitioner (Amazon.com, Inc. et al. and their privies) from raising any ground that was raised or reasonably could have been raised in the IPR. For other potential defendants, prior art grounds not asserted or adjudicated in this IPR, or those that could not have been reasonably raised, would still be available for challenging the patent. The presence of Amazon.com, Inc. et al. as a petitioner suggests a significant challenge to the patent.

Recommended next steps

For a defendant currently facing assertion of US11936876, the most critical next step is to closely monitor the progress of IPR2026-00193. The institution decision is anticipated around 2026-07-09. If the PTAB institutes the IPR, it will signal that the petitioner has demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on at least one claim, which would increase the defensive value against the patent. Information regarding this proceeding, including upcoming milestones, can be tracked on the USPTO PTAB E2E system.
A direct link to the IPR case on Unified Patents Portal is available for monitoring: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/ptab/case/IPR2026-00193.