A three-judge panel of the United States Trademark and Patent Office said on Thursday, June 30 that it would review the patents obtained in 2013 by aircraft manufacturer United Technologies. The panel ruled that the multinational conglomerate General Electric Co. has a “reasonable likelihood” of winning its argument against the United Technologies turbine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. GE claims that Pratt wrongly obtained patents on jet-engine technology that existed in the industry for decades.

GE said this move is “the first step” in invalidating patents that the Patent Office improperly approved for a multitude of companies. In a June 7 interview, Pratt president Bob Leduc said that GE has its eye on a small number of broad patents, but Pratt currently holds approximately 3,500 patents on its engine. Leduc noted, “We think they went after the most generic patents, but the magic of the gear is in the details, not in the generic.”

If you are embroiled in an intellectual property debate, either as a plaintiff or defendant, the attorneys at Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C. can provide you with legal help. Our practice areas include patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, and domain name disputes. Call our Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex offices today at (214) 824-1414 to learn more about our services.