Independent Inventor Seeks Director Review of Patent Rulings
Carrie Hafeman asks the USPTO Director to vacate six inter partes review decisions over alleged Sotera stipulation violations by Google and Microsoft.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Business Strategy
Independent inventor Carrie Hafeman filed a petition for Extraordinary Director Review with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on November 5, 2026. The petition asks the Director to vacate institution and Final Written Decisions in six related inter partes reviews, alleging Sotera stipulation violations by Google and Microsoft.
Why it matters
The filing comes after the Federal Circuit denied Hafeman's rehearing petition and affirmed PTAB decisions invalidating all claims of three of her patents covering remote device finder technology. It tests whether a stipulation intended to limit challenges in parallel proceedings can be enforced after review has been instituted.
The petition covers six related inter partes reviews, following a Federal Circuit affirmance that invalidated all claims of three Hafeman patents. The Director's decision on the petition has not been announced.
The players
Carrie Hafeman
Carrie Hafeman is an independent inventor who has spent years in patent litigation against Google and Microsoft over remote device finder technology.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is the federal agency that grants patents and administers inter partes review proceedings before its Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
The details
Hafeman argues LG violated its Sotera stipulation, which LG filed on November 30, 2022, through backdoor methods such as relying on the IP in combination with other references. She raised the issue in all six IPR sur-replies and requested termination, and she intends to seek Supreme Court review of the Federal Circuit's denial.
Timeline
- November 30, 2022: LG files the Sotera stipulation.
- June 2026: Federal Circuit affirms PTAB invalidation of three patents.
- October 2026: Hafeman files a rehearing petition with the Federal Circuit.
- November 4, 2026: Federal Circuit denies the rehearing petition.
- November 5, 2026: Hafeman files the Extraordinary Director Review petition.
Market Landscape
Sotera stipulations were designed to resolve parallel-challenge conflicts in inter partes review, and Hafeman's petition tests whether they bind petitioners after institution. The outcome could shape how defendants like Google and Microsoft structure challenges against independent inventors.
Companies facing parallel patent challenges may need to weigh stipulation terms more carefully before agreeing to them. Independent inventors gain a potential avenue to contest conduct after review has begun.
The takeaway
Stipulations that narrow patent challenges carry real enforcement consequences, and parties on both sides should read their terms as closely as the claims themselves.
Further reading
Explore more on Business Strategy to see how companies and inventors navigate patent disputes.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Patent Law.
