NEW YORK — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has given another boost to eBay Inc. in its legal fight with MercExchange Inc. by signalling that it may revoke a second patent owned by the small Virginia business.
In a filing posted on its website, the patent office said it found the latest patent to be invalid because its claimed inventions either were obvious or had been anticipated by other patents.
The decision could prove very helpful in eBay's attempt to challenge a $25-million (U.S.) patent infringement award won by MercExchange in 2003.
