Getting this or any issued U.S. patent's claims narrowed or all of its claims made null can be done in one of two proceedings at the USPTO called an ex parte reexamination or an Inter Parte Review. The least expensive is the ex parte reexam. The filing fee is a minimum of $6000 for an ex part petition. That is just the filing fee, you will also want professional help in putting it together. With this you get to throw your rock and then have no further involvement.

Inter Parte Review is a much bigger deal. It is a quasi-judical proceeding before the appeals board within the USPTO that you participate in. The min. fee is a non-refundable $9K + another $14K that you do get back if the boards decides not to take on the case at all. And those amounts are small in comparison to your legal bill.

To literally be invalidated takes a court action and you would only be in court if the patentee was suing you.

Getting this or any issued U.S. patent's claims narrowed or all of its claims made null can be done in one of two proceedings at the USPTO called an ex parte reexamination or an Inter Parte Review. The least expensive is the ex parte reexam. The filing fee is a minimum of $6000 for an ex parte petition. That is just the filing fee, you will also want professional help in putting it together. With this you get to throw your rock and then have no further involvement.

Inter Parte Review is a much bigger deal. It is a quasi-judical proceeding before the appeals board within the USPTO that you participate in. The min. fee is a non-refundable $9K + another $14K that you do get back if the boards decides not to take on the case at all. And those amounts are small in comparison to your legal bill.

To literally be invalidated takes a court action and you would only be in court if the patentee was suing you.