PTAB Takes Out MPHJ Scanning Patent

Notorious patent troll MPHJ Technology Investments has been in the news and courtrooms a great deal over the past several years. Its rise to prominence began with waves of letters from hard–to–trace affiliates to small businesses demanding that they license the ability to scan documents to send by email. That got the attention of Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell who filed suit to challenge what he saw as unfair and deceptive trade practices by MPHJ and its affiliated companies. It also got noticed by the Federal Trade Commission, which made its own inquiry into the company’s demand–letter–writing campaign.

Now comes news from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board that one of the patents underlying MPHJ’s demands is invalid. In an inter partes review proceeding filed by Ricoh, Xerox, and Lexmark, the PTAB just issued a final written decision concluding that asserted claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,477,410 B2 are invalid as anticipated by and obvious in light of prior art. While an appeal may follow, for now, MPHJ’s claimed monopoly on scan–to–email technology seems to be slipping further from its grasp.