`571-272-7822
`
`Paper 15
`Entered: March 23, 2015
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`NHK SEATING OF AMERICA,INC.,
`Petitioner,
`
`Vv.
`
`LEAR CORPORATION,
`Patcnt Owner.
`
`Case IPR2014-00957
`Patent 7,455,357 B2
`
`Before RICHARD E. RICE, MITCHELL G. WEATHERLY,and
`CARL M. DEFRANCO,Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`WEATHERLY,Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`JUDGMENT AND FINAL WRITTEN DECISION
`35 US.C. § 318(a) and 37 CFR. § 42.73(a)
`
`I.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`On December 18, 2014, weinstituted an inter partes review of claim
`
`20 of U.S. Patent No. 7,455,357 B2 (“the ’357 patent”). Paper 10. On
`
`March 13, 2015, Patent Owner, Lear Corporation (“Lear”), disclaimed claim
`
`20 of the ’357 patent whenit filed a Disclaimer in Patent Under 37 C.F.R.
`
`§ 1.321(a). Ex. 2001. Accordingly, no claims remain in this inter partes
`
`review. On March 16, 2015, Lear filed Patent Owner’s Request for Adverse
`
`
`
`Case IPR2014-00957
`Patent 7,455,357 B2
`
`Judgment Under 37 C.F.R. § 42.73(b) in which Lear requests that we enter
`
`judgmentagainst it with respect to claim 20 and terminate this proceeding.
`
`Paper14.
`
`II.
`
`DISCUSSION
`
`“A party may request judgmentagainst itself at any time during a
`
`proceeding.” 37 C.F.R. § 42.73(b). Actions construed as a request for
`
`adverse judgmentinclude cancellation or disclaimer of patent claims such
`
`that the party has no remaining claim in thetrial. 37 C.F.R. § 42.73(b)(2).
`
`Lear hasfiled a statutory disclaimer that leaves no patent claim remainingin
`
`this inter partes review, Exhibit 2001, and expressly requested that we enter
`
`judgmentagainstit, Paper 14. Under these circumstances, entry ofjudgment
`
`adverse to Lear is appropriate.
`
`II.
`
`CONCLUSION
`
`Lear’s request for adverse judgmentis granted.
`
`IV. ORDER
`
`Accordingly,it is:
`
`ORDEREDthat judgmentis entered against Lear with respect to
`
`claim 20 of U.S. Patent No. 7,455,357 B2 under 37 C.F.R. § 42.73(a); and
`
`FURTHER ORDEREDthat this Order constitutes a final written
`
`decision under 35 U.S.C. § 318(a).
`
`
`
`Case IPR2014-00957
`Patent 7,455,357 B2
`
`PETITIONER:
`
`William H. Mandir
`John F. Rabena
`SUGHRUE MION PLLC
`wmandir@sughrue.com
`jrabena@sughrue.com
`
`PATENT OWNER:
`
`John M.Halan
`Frank A. Angileri
`BROOKS KUSHMANP.C.
`jhalan@brookskushman.com
`fangileri@brookskushman.com
`
`