The Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s September 9, 2026 scheduling order in PGR2026-00033 does not resolve the merits of the post-grant review, but it is still an important procedural ruling for parties practicing before the Board. As is often the case in AIA trials, the order establishes the framework that will control the pace of the case, the parties’ briefing obligations, and the practical management of the dispute going forward.

At a high level, the Board issued a standard scheduling order setting deadlines for the major stages of the proceeding, including patent owner responses, petitioner replies, motions practice, and oral hearing-related events.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board granted institution in IPR2026-00146, concluding that the petitioner met the threshold showing required under 35 U.S.C. § 314(a): a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on at least one challenged claim. At the institution stage, that is the key question, and the Board found the petition sufficiently supported to move forward to a full trial on patentability.

Although an institution decision is not a final merits ruling, it is often a significant signal.