New Challenge to IPR Discretionary Denials in View of Parallel Patent Litigation On August 31, 2020, four leading tech companies filed a declaratory action against Andrei Iancu, the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”), challenging the USPTO’s discretionary authority under 35 U.S.C. § 314(a) to deny inter partes review (“IPR”) petitions in view of parallel patent litigation. Apple, Inc. v. Iancu, Case No. 5:20-CV-06128-EJD, Dkt. 1 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 31, 2020). Just two weeks later, several self-proclaimed Small Business Inventors, led by the non-profit US Inventor, moved to intervene seeking to enhance the Director’s discretionary authority. Dkt. 28. Soon after, US Inventor moved for a preliminary injunction to enjoin the USPTO from instituting