It's a phrase heard frequently from patent practitioners: “We live in interesting times.”

The year 2014 was momentous in the field of patent law. The U.S. Supreme Court issued blockbuster rulings on patent eligibility, fee shifting and claim particularity. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's postgrant review procedures proved wildly popular — at least with accused infringers. Congress almost passed even broader-reaching reforms. And new patent infringement claims dropped sharply, reversing a trend.

More change is certain in 2015, but who's going to impose it and how far it will extend remain up in the air. The federal judiciary has already adopted tighter pleading standards and discovery limits that promise to make life even harder for nonpracticing entities when the rules take effect next fall. The Supreme Court seems likely to play a less active role. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will have a say on one of patent law's hottest issues: setting fair royalties for standard-essential patents.