Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC), a California-based microchip innovator, is calling on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to apply recently issued patent rules retroactively. The company argues this adjustment could reverse a recent ruling that partially invalidated one of its key patents following a challenge from Chinese competitor Innoscience.
At the heart of the matter is U.S. Patent No. 8,350,294, covering EPC’s pioneering gallium nitride (GaN) chip technology. EPC, led by founder and CEO Dr. Alex Lidow, filed a request on April 17 asking the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to grant a seven-day extension for reconsideration under new discretionary denial guidance issued by the USPTO on March 24, 2025—just days after the final ruling in the case.
To support its argument, EPC has retained former USPTO Director Andrei Iancu, now co-head of the IP and Technology practice at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Iancu, who led the agency during the Trump administration, is recognized for strengthening the board’s authority to exercise discretion over inter partes review (IPR) proceedings—a key element in EPC’s current strategy.
