throbber
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`BUTAMAXTM ADVANCED BIOF UELS LLC.
`
`Petitioner
`
`V.
`
`GEVO, INC.
`Patent Owner
`
`CASE IPR2013—00539
`
`Patent 8,273,565
`
`PETITIONER BUTAMAX'S REPLY TO PATEEJT OWNER RESPQNSE
`
`

`

`Petitioner’s Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013-00539
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`Introduction ..................................................................................................... l
`
`II.
`
`The Board's construction of the claim terms at issue must apply .................. l
`
`III.
`
`The '5 65 patent is not entitled to the priority dates of the Provisionals ......... 2
`
`IV.
`
`Flint anticipates claims 1—4, 6-8, and 11-19 ofthe ‘565 patent ...................... 4
`
`The '5 65 patent merely claims combinations of known and practiced features
`
`that produce known and predictable results ................................................... 5
`
`A.
`
`A POSA would have been motivated to combine Anthony
`
`with Puig and Ojeda to reach the invention of the ‘5 65 patent ............ 5
`
`B.
`
`A POSA would have read Puig to teach the degradation of
`
`endogenous Fe—S cluster proteins and not heterologous
`
`DHAD ................................................................................................... 8
`
`C.
`
`A POSA reading Ojeda would have been motivated to
`
`inactivate GRX3
`
`and/or GRX4 proteins
`
`to
`
`increase
`
`expression of heterologous DHAD .................................................... 12
`
`D.
`
`Claims 5 and 9 are obvious over the cited references ........................ 13
`
`VI.
`
`The ‘921 application has no bearing on the obviousness of the '565 patent
`
`claims ............................................................................................................ 14
`
`VII.
`
`Conclusion .................................................................................................... 15
`
`

`

`Petitioner’s Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPRZOl3-00539
`
`I.
`
`Introduction
`
`The ‘565 patent claims a recombinant yeast microorganism and a method of
`
`producing isobutanol using such a yeast. The Petition and supporting declaration
`
`demonstrate that the claimed yeast and method is neither novel nor nonobvious.
`
`And Gevo‘s response offers no evidence to the contrary. Significantly, Gevo's
`
`assertions rely entirely on attorney argument and are devoid of validation or
`
`confirmation from a person of ordinary skill in the art ("POSA"), either through
`
`expert opinion or citation to scientific literature. Because Gevo's response is
`
`lacking, the Board should confirm its initial findings of unpatentability and cancel
`
`the claims-at—issue.
`
`II.
`
`The Board's construction of the claim terms at issue must apply
`
`Gevo did not challenge the Board's construction of the claim terms at issue
`
`in its Decision to Institute. Accordingly, those constructions should control. The
`
`term ”inactivated"
`
`should be construed to mean lacking all
`
`activity or
`
`functionality. Paper 9, p. 10. In addition,
`
`independent claim 1 and dependent
`
`claims 2—16 and 19 must encompass at least the yeast genera and species recited in
`
`dependent claims 17 and 18. Ici, p. 12. And finally, claim 1, and claims 2-10 and
`
`13—19, which depend from claim 1, must encompass at least DHAD localized in
`
`the cytosol or the mitochondria. Id.
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013—00539
`
`III. The '565 patent is not entitled to the priority dates of the Provisionals
`
`Gevo fails to demonstrate that the '952 and ‘209 provisional applications
`
`(the "Provisionals") convey, with reasonable clarity to a POSA,
`
`that Gevo
`
`possessed yeast having inactivated GRX3 or GRX4 proteins, i.e., genes lacking in
`
`all activity, resulting from insertions, deletions, or combinations of insertions and
`
`deletions of nucleotides of the corresponding gene. See Paper 9, pp. 15—16.
`
`As an initial matter, Gevo provides no expert opinion to demonstrate how a
`
`POSA would interpret
`
`the disclosures
`
`in the Provisionals. Gevo's
`
`flawed
`
`arguments rest entirely on attorney commentary and consist mostly of reciting
`
`paragraphs from the Provisionals, the subject matter of which has already been
`
`considered by the Board and rejected as not providing sufficient written
`
`description. Id. at pp. 13—16.
`
`Butamax’s expert, Dr. Thiele, has already made clear-——and the Board
`
`agreed—that references in the Provisionals to "attenuate[ing]" or "reduc[ing]"
`
`GRX3 and GRX4 genes do not support the scope of claim 1. BMX1002 at ‘ll29 and
`
`Paper 9, pp. 14-15. Gevo does not contend that a POSA would interpret these
`
`disclosures differently. Additionally, as Dr. Thiele explained—and the Board
`
`agreed— that disclosures in the Provisionals of complete deletion of the GRX3
`
`and GRX4 genes do not provide sufficient written description for the broad scope
`
`of the '565 patent claims. BMX1002 at 11927-33 and Paper 9, p. 15-16. Again,
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013-00539
`
`Gevo does not provide any support from a POSA as to a different understanding
`
`of the scope of the challenged claims.
`
`Tellingly, Gevo did not cite to a single paragraph in the Provisionals that
`
`describes inactivated GRX3 and GRX4 proteins resulting from the partial deletion
`
`of the corresponding genes,
`
`i.e., deletion of one or more, but
`
`less than all,
`
`nucleotides, or insertion of one or more nucleotides. That is because it cannot.
`
`That disclosure does not exist. BMX1002 at i[$37-47 The only paragraphs that
`
`Gevo cites are unrelated to the GRX3 or GRX4 gene specifically. Paper 19, pp. 7-
`
`12. And as Dr. Thiele explained, a POSA would not understand these disclosures
`
`to provide any description of the type, location, or size of a deletion, insertion, or
`
`combination of both, that would result in the full scope of an inactivated GRX3 or
`
`GRX4 gene as recited in claim 1. BMX1002 at fi49.
`
`Most of the paragraphs cited by Gevo were already considered and rejected
`
`by the Board as not providing written description for the claims of the '565 patent.
`
`See, ag. 1F] [0028], [0067], [0068], [00154], and [00156] of the '952 provisional
`
`and W] [0073], [0074], [00178], [00180], and [00181] of the '209 provisional.
`
`Merely repeating phrases like "deletions or insertions of single or multiple
`
`residues in a polynucleotide," "an insertion, or a deletion of part or all of a gene,"
`
`or ”alteration, disruption, deletion or knocking-out of a gene or polynucleotide"
`
`does nothing to convey to a POSA that Gevo knew which insertions or
`
`fl
`3
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013—00539
`
`deletions—let
`
`alone possessed such insertions or deletions—that would
`
`completely inactivate GRX3 or GRX4. Additional paragraphs
`
`from the
`
`Provisionals upon which Gevo relies merely restate
`
`that
`
`the
`
`claimed
`
`microorganisms can comprise a disruption or knockout of a gene and that the
`
`techniques for creating such microorganisms were known. See W [00154],
`
`[00156], [00213], [00229], and [00258]-[00263] of the '952 provisional and W
`
`[00244], [00260] and [00289]—[00295] of the '209 provisional. But as explained
`
`above, in the Petition and in Dr. Thiele's declaration, this is not enough.
`
`The Petition and Dr. Thiele‘s declaration amply demonstrate that
`
`the
`
`Provisionals do not provide written description support for claims 1-19. Petition,
`
`pp. 13-24 and BMX1002 at 1]][24-49. And Gevo has not refuted that showing: its
`
`repetitive and unsupported response fails to overcome the Board‘s initial finding
`
`that the effective filing date of '565 patent is no earlier than November 24, 2010.
`
`Gevo's response should not disturb the Board's conclusion.
`
`IV.
`
`Flint anticipates claims 1—4, 6-8, and 11-19 of the '565 patent
`
`Gevo does not dispute that Flint discloses each and every limitation of
`
`claims 1-4, 6-8, and 11—19 of the '565 patent. Instead, Gevo merely attempts to
`
`remove Flint as prior art by asserting that the '565 patent is entitled to a priority
`
`date earlier than November 24, 2010. Paper 19, p. 15. But as described above,
`
`Gevo's argument fails. Consequently, Flint undeniably qualifies as prior art to the
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013-00539
`
`'565 patent under 35 U.S.C § 102(e) and anticipates claims 1-4, 6-8, and 11-19 of
`
`the '565 patent.
`
`V.
`
`The ‘565 patent merely claims combinations of known and practiced
`features that preduee known and predictable results
`
`The Petition and Dr. Thiele's unchallenged declaration show where the prior
`
`art discloses each and every element of the claims. Petition, pp. 34—43 and
`
`BMX1002 at
`
`€[1l73—99. And Gevo has no credible argument to the contrary.
`
`Instead, Gevo—relying entirely on attorney argument—attempts to attack prior art
`
`references individually, while ignoring the combination of art and the knowledge
`
`ofa POSA at the effective filing date ofthe '565 patent.
`
`A.
`
`A POSA would have been motivated to combine Anthony with
`Puig and Ojeda to reach the invention of the '565 patent
`
`Gevo's argument that the combined teachings of Anthony, Puig, and Ojeda
`
`do not render claims 1—4, 6-8 and 11-19 obvious is legally flawed and unsupported
`
`by validation or confirmation from a POSA or citation to scientific literature.
`
`Gevo misunderstands the law when it argues that a POSA should have
`
`understood from Anthony alone that the GRX3 and/or GRX4 genes should be
`
`inactivated to increase the activity of DHAD. Paper 19, pp. 15-16. As Dr. Thiele
`
`explained, and the Board determined,
`
`it is Anthony in combination with other
`
`references that renders the claims-at-issue obvious. BMX1002 at flfi73-99 and
`
`Paper 9, p. 22. Gevo ignores controlling precedent when it attacks individual
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013-00539
`
`references and ignores the combination of the teachings in the prior art. As the
`
`Federal Circuit has explained, "[i]n determining obviousness, references are read
`
`not in isolation but for what they fairly teach in combination with; the prior art as a
`
`whole." Banner Eng’g Corp. v. Tri—Tronics Co. Inc,
`
`11. F.3d 1071 (Fed. Cir.
`
`1993); see also In re Merck & Co, Inc, 800 F.2d 1091 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
`
`The Board correctly concluded that a POSA would have combined the
`
`teachings of Anthony, Puig, and Ojeda because they are each directed to the
`
`characterization and/or
`
`role of Fe—S cluster proteins in yeast metabolism.
`
`BMX1002 at ‘]74; Paper 9, pp. 19-22. Anthony identifies recombinant approaches
`
`to increase the activity of DHAD to increase isobutanol production in yeast.
`
`BMX1005 at fi‘l[[0003], [0006], [0013], and [0074]—[0075] and BMX1002 at ‘[75.
`
`Specifically, Anthony teaches that the activity of recombinant DHAD is limited by
`
`the availability of Fe-S clusters in the cell. BMX1005 at fi]‘][0074]-[0075] and
`
`BMX1002 at 1]75. A POSA would have understood that Anthony teaches the
`
`reduction of the expression of one or more endogenous Fe-S proteins in a
`
`recombinant yeast to improve the activity of recombinant DHAD. BMX1005 at
`
`Tl][0006],
`
`[0009],
`
`[0038],
`
`[0074j-[0075],
`
`[0098],
`
`[0112],
`
`[0151]—[0156], and
`
`[0159]-[0164], Examples 1 and 3; and BMX1002 at 1W7.
`
`Gevo‘s contention that Anthony does not provide direction as to which of
`
`the Fe—S proteins should be reduced is incorrect. See Paper 19, p. 16. In fact,
`
`6
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IT’R2013—00539
`
`Anthony describes exemplary endogenous Fe-S cluster proteins that may be
`
`targets for reduced expression. Anthony also teaches ways to reduce expression of
`
`such Fe—S cluster proteins, including "gene disruption, deletion or inactivation".
`
`BMX1005 at fil[0053] and BMX1002 at ‘fl77. As Dr. Thiele explained, a POSA
`
`wanting to increase DHAD activity by reducing expression of endogenous Fe-S
`
`cluster proteins, as explained in Anthony, would have considered alternative
`
`means to reduce expression of such proteins and would have turned to Puig.
`
`BMX1002 at fll78. Gevo's argument does not disturb this conclusion.
`
`Puig teaches that the Cth2 protein promotes targeted mRNA degradation,
`
`reducing accumulation of mRNAs encoding endogenous Fe-S cluster proteins.
`
`BMX1006, pp. 99-101, 103-104, 107—108, Suppl. Table 82; BMX1002 at
`
`|79. A
`
`POSA reading Puig would have understood that reduction of Fe—S cluster proteins
`
`via Cth2 leads to increased availability of Fe—S clusters. BMX1002 at fJ80. A
`
`POSA would have understood that a heterologous DHAD—constructed without
`
`the Cth2 target site—would not be targeted by Cth2. Thus, a POSA would have
`
`considered Puig's Cth2-mediated reduced expression of endogenous Fe—S proteins
`
`to be a beneficial approach to reducing the competition with heterologous DHAD
`
`for Fe—S clusters as taught by Anthony. BMX1002 at {‘80. Further, Puig teaches
`
`that the S. cerevisiae transcription factors Aftl and Aft2 activate transcription of
`
`the Cth2 gene. BMX1006, p. 1.00 and Suppl. Fig. 82. Thus, a POSA looking to
`
`7’
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013-00539
`
`increase the activity of recombinant DHAD would have been motivated to
`
`increase the expression of Cth2 through the activation of the transcriptional
`
`regulators Aftl and Aft2. BMX1002 at filSl.
`
`Ojeda teaches that cells lacking er3 and/or er4 have increased Aft
`
`protein activation. BMX1007, p. 17661—63. Therefore, a POSA reading Ojeda
`
`would have understood that decreasing or eliminating expression of GRX3 and/or
`
`GRX4 would lead to increased activation of Aft proteins. BMXlOOZ at flSl.
`
`A POSA reading Anthony, Puig, and Ojeda in combination would have
`
`been motivated to delete GRX3 and/or GRX4 to increase the activation of Aftl or
`
`Aft2 with the expectation that it would result in increasing expression of Cth2,
`
`which in turn would result in decreased expression of endogenous Fe—S cluster
`
`proteins and increased availability of Fe-S clusters. Id. As a result, a POSA would
`
`have then expected to improve the activity of recombinant DHAD by increasing
`
`the Fe-S clusters available to it. The Board agrees. Paper No. 9, p. 22.
`
`B.
`
`A POSA would have read Puig to teach the degradation of
`endogenous Fe-S cluster proteins and not heterologous DHAD
`
`Gevo‘s contention—in the form of attorney argument only—that Puig does
`
`not distinguish between Cth2 binding to heterologous or endogenous DHAD
`
`mRNA misunderstands and misinterprets the knowledge and routine practice of a
`
`skilled practitioner in the field of eukaryotic recombinant gene expression, as well
`
`as the totality of Puig‘s teachings.
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPRZOl3—00539
`
`Gevo argues—without
`
`the support of any expert opinion or scientific
`
`literature—that Dr. Thiele provides no scientific support for his contention that (l)
`
`Cth2 would only bind to endogenous DHAD, not exogenous DHAD mRNA and
`
`(2) Cth2 would not bind the exogenous mRNA even if it contains a 3' untranslated
`
`region ("3' UTR") that is different from the 3' UTR of endogenous DHAD. Paper
`
`19, pp.l8—l9. But Gevo's arguments show its fundamental misunderstanding of
`
`Dr. Thiele’s declaration and the knowledge of a POSA prior to the earliest
`
`effective filing date of the '565 patent.
`
`Dr. Thiele's reading of Puig—challenged only by attorney argument—is
`
`that
`
`it
`
`taught a POSA about Cth2-mediated targeted mRNA degradation of
`
`endogenous Fe—S cluster proteins. BMX1002 at f[[1180 and 105. As Dr. Thiele
`
`explained, a POSA would have had a reason to apply the teachings of Puig to
`
`construct recombinant DHAD—using standard techniques for recombinant protein
`
`expression—which would be encoded by mRNA that
`
`lacks the Cth2—mRNA
`
`binding sequence found in the 3' UTR of mRNA that encodes endogenous DHAD.
`
`Id. This is because a POSA would have wanted to ensure that increased Cth2
`
`activation would not target the recombinant DHAD. Id. In fact, the potentially
`
`deleterious effect of using endogenous 3' UTRs for heterologous gene expression
`
`was well-recognized in the art. See Sambrook, et 61]., Molecular Cloning: A
`
`Laboratory Manual 16.7 (2nd ed. 1987) (BMX1025). For example, Sambrook
`
`9
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013-00539
`
`teaches that "sequences within the 3' noncoding regions of eukaryotic genes may
`
`play a role in mRNA stability" and "to obtain maximal expression of a cloned
`
`gene" it may "be necessary to remove the nucleotide sequences 3' of the
`
`termination codon." Id. Thus, Dr. Thiele's opinion that a POSA would have been
`
`motivated, using standard techniques, to construct a recombinant DHAD lacking
`
`the endogenous 3' UTR and/or Cth2 target sites is substantiated by the prior art
`
`and the knowledge and common practice in the field.
`
`Furthermore, Puig explicitly teaches the mechanism by which Cth2 targets
`
`endogenous mRNAs. For example, Puig teaches that Cth2 binds to AU—rich
`
`elements, or ARES in 3' UTRs of targeted mRNAs. BMX1006, pp. 102 and 107-8.
`
`Indeed, Puig explicitly teaches the nucleotide sequences of ARES that are targeted
`
`by Cth2. Id. Furthermore, Puig teaches that the 3'UTR of endogenous DHAD
`
`(ILV3) contains putative ARES targeted by Cth2. Id. at p. 104, Table 1. Thus, a
`
`POSA would have understood, based on the clear and explicit teachings of Puig,
`
`that ARE sequences found in the 3' UTR of endogenous DHAD are likely targets
`
`for Cth2 binding and regulation.
`
`Gevo takes the extraordinary position that a POSA's knowledge is limited to
`
`only the four corners of a reference and must not be impacted by any other
`
`knowledge of the art or creative thinking. See, e.g., Paper 19, p. 18. But the law
`
`has never required a POSA to be so limited. Indeed, the Supreme Court has stated
`
`10
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013—00539
`
`the opposite:
`
`To determine whether there was an apparent reason to combine the
`
`known elements in the way a patent claims, it will often be necessary
`
`to look to
`
`the background knowledge possessed by a person having
`
`ordinary skill in the art. To facilitate review, this analysis should be
`
`made explicit. But it need not seek out precise teachings directed to
`
`the challenged claim's specific subject matter, for a court can consider
`
`the inferences and creative steps a person of ordinary skill in the art
`
`would employ.
`
`See KSR [141’] Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 US. 398, 401 (2007). The Petition and Dr.
`
`Thiele explained how a POSA would have considered Puig, and the inferences
`
`and creative steps a POSA would have applied when reading the combination of
`
`Anthony, Puig, and Ojeda. BMX1002 at ifi‘ll73-99. As Dr. Thiele explained, a
`
`POSA looking to express heterologous DHAD in a yeast expressing Cth2 would
`
`have been motivated, with a reasonable expectation of success,
`
`to express a
`
`recombinant DHAD that does not contain the same 3' UTR as endogenous DHAD.
`
`BMX1002 at iW80 and 105. Further, a POSA would have been motivated to
`
`ensure that the 3' UTR of the recombinant DHAD does not contain the known
`
`binding sites of Cch, i.e., ARES, as taught by Puig. Id. Such techniques were well
`
`understood and routinely practiced in the art prior to the earliest effective filing
`
`date ofthe '565 patent. See BMX1025, p. 16.7.
`
`11
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`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013-00539
`
`C.
`
`A POSA reading Ojeda would have been motivated to inactivate
`GRX3
`and/or GRX4 proteins
`to
`increase
`expression of
`heterologous DHAD
`
`Gevo's argument
`
`that Ojeda teaches away from a yeast expressing
`
`recombinant DHAD that comprises inactivated GRX3 and/or GRX4 as claimed in
`
`the '565 patent fails for the same reason its arguments regarding Puig fail—Gevo
`
`fundamentally misunderstands and misapplies the knowledge and routine practice
`
`of a skilled practitioner in the field of eukaryotic recombinant gene expression.
`
`For the prior art
`
`to teach away,
`
`it must "criticize, discredit, or otherwise
`
`discourage the solution claimed," which the combination of Anthony, Puig and
`
`Ojeda does not do. In re Fulton, 391 F.3d 1195, 1201 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
`
`What Gevo‘s argument misses is that Ojeda's assays for enzymatic activity
`
`used "total cellular extracts" and did not account for the amount of aconitase
`
`protein expressed in the tested cells. See BMX1007, p. 17667, Figure 10 caption.
`
`Puig explicitly teaches that aconitase contains ARES in its 3' UTR and is therefore
`
`a target for Cth2-mediated degradation. BMX1006, Table 1. Because deletion of
`
`GRX3 and GRX4 leads to increased Aft activation and subsequent increased Cth2
`
`expression, a POSA would have expected a decrease of endogenous aconitase
`
`expression, and a consequent reduction in aconitase activity. BMX1002 at :11102. It
`
`is this decreased aconitase protein level that leads to the lower aconitase activity in
`
`Ojeda‘s cells. Id. So Ojeda's result of decreased aconitase activity in GRX3 and
`
`1')
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013—00539
`
`GRX4 double mutants was entirely expected to a POSA in view of the teachings
`
`of Ojeda and Puig. BMX1002 at 11111100405.
`
`As stated in Dr. Thiele's declaration, a POSA would have known that Cth2
`
`binds to 3' UTRs in endogenous Fe—S cluster mRNAs, leading to their decay. Id. at
`
`iW79 and 102. But, significantly, a POSA would have known—using standard
`
`techniques for recombinant protein expression—how to construct recombinant
`
`DHAD that would be encoded by mRNA having a 3' UTR that is not bound by
`
`Cth2. Id. at $180, 103, 105; BMX1025, p. 16.7. Thus, a POSA would have been
`
`motivated, and able, to construct an overexpressed heterologous DHAD enzyme
`
`that would not be degraded by an increased expression of the Aft—regulated Cth2,
`
`and that was able to take advantage of the increased number of Fe—S clusters
`
`available to it after
`
`the endogenous Fe-S cluster proteins were degraded.
`
`BMX1002 at $1180 and 103. In sum, as explained by Dr. Thiele and Petitioner, a
`
`POSA reading Anthony in view of Puig and Ojeda would not be taught away from
`
`arriving at the claimed invention. BMX1002 at fi‘fllOO—lOS and Petition, pp. 43-46.
`
`D.
`
`Claims 5 and 9 are obvious over the cited references
`
`Gevo has provided no additional argument—not even attorney argument—
`
`to explain why claims 5 and 9 of the '565 patent are not obvious. As such, as set
`
`forth in the Petition and Dr. Thiele's declaration, the Board should find claim
`
`Sobvious over Anthony, Puig, Ojeda, and Li. Petition, pp. 47—48; BMX1002 at
`
`13
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013—00539
`
`$93—94. In addition, the Board should find claim 9 obvious over Anthony, Puig,
`
`Ojeda and van Maris. Petition, pp. 49-51; BMX1002 at ¥EDS—97.
`
`VE.
`
`The '921 application has no bearing on the obviousness 0f the '565
`patent claims
`
`Gevo brings U.S. Appl. No. 13/837,921 ("the '921 application") to the
`
`Board‘s attention but fails to articulate any factual basis or reason as to why it
`
`might be relevant to this proceeding. Gevo asserts—based on selective citations to
`
`the '921 application—that the '921 application claims a method of increasing the
`
`activity of a Fe-S cluster protein by inactivating GRX3, and that the Fe-S cluster
`
`protein is DHAD. However, as is clear from Gevo's citations, the claims to DHAD
`
`and to GRX3 are separate dependent claims. Thus, the '921 application does not
`
`disclose an invention that covers the scope of the '565 patent.
`
`Regardless, the only relevant standard in determining the patentability of
`
`the '565 patent claims is whether the claims would have been obvious to a POSA
`
`at the effective filing date of the '565 patent; not what Petitioner may or may not
`
`assert in an unrelated application. Petitioner's statements in the specification of the
`
`'921 application are pertinent to the invention of the '921 application and have no
`
`legal bearing on the patentability of Gevo's '565 patent claims. Dr. Thiele has
`
`clearly demonstrated that the claims of the ’5 65 patent would have been obvious to
`
`a POSA at the effective filing date of the '565 patent. And Gevo's reliance on
`
`statements in an unrelated application are a futile attempt to divert the Board's
`
`l4
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013—00539
`
`attention away from the unpatentability of the challenged claims.
`
`VII. Conclusion
`
`Gevo's response—based entirely on attorney argument, without any support
`
`from an expert or scientific literature—does not change the fact that claims 1-9
`
`and 11-19 of the '565 patent are unpatentable as anticipated or obvious over the
`
`prior art. The Petition,
`
`supported by Dr. Thiele, amply demonstrates the
`
`unpatentability of the '565 patent claims. The claims should be cancelled.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`STERNE, KESSLER, GOLDSTEIN & Fox
`P.L.L.C.
`
`“D
`
`
`
`erling, Ph.D.
`Deborah
`Lead Attorney for Petitioner Butamax
`Registration No. 62,732
`
`Date: July 29, 2014
`1100 New York Avenue, NW.
`Washington, DC. 20005-3934
`(202) 371-2600
`
`15
`
`

`

`Petitioner's Reply to Patent Owner Response
`IPR2013-00539
`
`CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE 37 C.F.R.
`
`42.6 e 42.105 a
`
`The undersigned hereby certifies that
`
`the above-captioned "Petitioner's
`
`Reply to Patent Owner Response" was electronically served in its entirety on July
`
`29, 2014, upon the following:
`
`
`IPR2013 -00532@,coolev.com
`Cooley LLP
`1299 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
`Suite 700
`
`Washington, DC 20004
`Patent owners correspondence
`address of recordfor
`US. Patent No. 8, 2 73, 565
`
`Date: July 29, 2014
`
`STERNE, KESSLER, GOLDSTEIN & Fox P.L.L.C.
`
`
`
`Lead Attorney for Petitioner
`
`1100 New York Avenue, NW.
`
`Registration No. 62,732
`
`Washington, D.C.20005—3934
`
`(202) 371-2600
`
`1884855_1.DOCX
`
`16
`
`

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