Ramos v. Louisiana
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Ramos v. Louisiana and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of Ramos v. Louisiana.
The Supreme Court ruled that judicial review is precluded for the Patent Office's decision to institute inter partes review based on the timeliness of the petition under § 315(b). This decision aligns with the statutory purpose of ensuring efficient patent claim evaluations. The ruling emphasizes that challenges closely tied to the institution decision are not subject to judicial review.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Ramos v. Louisiana.
The Court held that § 314(d) precludes judicial review of the agency's application of § 315(b)'s time prescription.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Ramos v. Louisiana. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
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Why Administrative Law is relevant to Ramos v. Louisiana
The case primarily concerns the limits of judicial review over agency decisions, specifically the Patent Office's decision to institute inter partes review, which is a matter of administrative law.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Section 314(d) precludes judicial review of the agency's application of § 315(b)'s time prescription.
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Why Judicial Review is relevant to Ramos v. Louisiana
The Court's decision focuses on whether the agency's decision to institute inter partes review is subject to judicial review, which directly involves the concept of judicial review.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)A party generally cannot contend on appeal that the agency should have refused 'to institute an inter partes review.'
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Why Preemption is relevant to Ramos v. Louisiana
The case involves the preclusion of judicial review of agency decisions, which can be seen as a form of preemption of state court jurisdiction over certain patent disputes.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Section 314(d) bars review at least of matters 'closely tied to the application and interpretation of statutes related to' the institution decision.
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in Ramos v. Louisiana that support the summary and concepts above.
Section 314(d) precludes judicial review of the agency's application of § 315(b)'s time prescription.
A § 315(b) challenge easily meets that measurement.
Congress designed inter partes review to weed out bad patent claims efficiently.
