Background
RJ Technology LLC appealed from proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in IPR2023-01183 and IPR2024-00597. Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. were the appellees.
RJ Technology later filed an unopposed motion asking the Federal Circuit to dismiss the appeal as moot, with each party bearing its own costs. The court construed the filing as a motion for voluntary dismissal under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 42(b).
The Court’s Holding
The Federal Circuit granted RJ Technology’s motion to the extent that it requested dismissal and dismissed the appeal. The court did not address the merits of the underlying Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings or make a substantive mootness ruling.
The court ordered each party to bear its own costs. The nonprecedential order was issued as the mandate on July 31, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The Federal Circuit treated RJ Technology’s unopposed mootness motion as a request for voluntary dismissal under Rule 42(b).
- The appeal was dismissed without a decision on the merits of the underlying patent disputes.
- Each party was required to bear its own costs, and the order issued immediately as the mandate.
Why It Matters
The order ends RJ Technology’s appeal from the two inter partes review proceedings without appellate consideration of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s rulings. Because the order is nonprecedential and contains no merits analysis, its significance is procedural rather than doctrinal.