The Inter Partes Review (IPR) and Covered Business Method (CBM) procedures were enacted on September 16, 2012. Since then, the PTAB has released data on a monthly basis to illustrate the trends in the various petitions and which technology areas were most active. The past year has shown a compelling trend in various data that deserves a closer look.

One trend is the increase in popularity of IPR and CBM petitions. In June 2015, the PTAB had received only 3532 total AIA petitions since the September 16, 2012 effective date of the IPR and CBM procedures. As of June 2016, the PTAB has now received 5202 total petitions, an increase of over 47% in just one year. The monthly data shows a consistent increase in the number of petitions starting in June 2013, with the June 2016 number of petitions being almost four times that of the June 2013 number.