**Apple, Google, and LG Electronics Triumph in Patent Case as Supreme Court Rejects Appeal**
Today, Apple, Google, and LG Electronics marked a substantial legal success as the U.S. Supreme Court decided against hearing an appeal concerning an expired patent, bringing an end to a heated legal struggle initiated by Gesture Technology Partners.
### A Brief Overview
The legal conflict dates back to 2021 when Gesture Technology Partners launched a lawsuit against Apple, Google, and LG Electronics. The claim alleged that these technology leaders violated U.S. Patent No. 7,933,431, which is titled “Camera Based Sensing in Handheld, Mobile, Gaming, or Other Devices.” This patent pertains to technology concerning input devices for computers, especially those utilized in 3-D graphics, functioning by optically detecting human input through cameras.
However, the patent had already lapsed in 2020, one year before Gesture Technology Partners initiated legal action against the three corporations. Regardless of the patent’s expiration, the entity pursued damages for asserted infringements that took place when the patent was still in effect.
Throughout the legal proceedings, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidated 31 of the patent’s 33 claims, and later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled the entire patent as invalid.
### Today’s Developments
As per Reuters, the Supreme Court’s choice not to entertain the appeal effectively sustains the lower court’s decision. Apple, Google, LG, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filed briefs encouraging the Court to uphold the Federal Circuit’s ruling, asserting that even expired patents can be reviewed by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board due to ongoing implications for public rights.
On the other hand, Gesture Technology Partners argued that expired patents should be contested solely in federal court, beyond the jurisdiction of the PTAB. Nevertheless, with the Supreme Court opting not to intervene in the matter, the lower court’s ruling remains unaltered.
This result not only represents a notable victory for the involved tech firms but also establishes a precedent concerning the authority of the PTAB over expired patents, potentially affecting future patent litigation cases.
