Kathi Vidal testifies to the Senate Judiciary Committee at her confirmation hearing. (Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM)

For OpenSky Industries, the handwriting has long been on the wall. Now it's being written in capital letters.

New PTO Director Kathi Vidal late Tuesday intervened in OpenSky LLC's challenge to the validity of a patent that helps support a $2.175 billion jury award. The move is likely the first step in un-doing a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision to review the patent, and it keeps an apparent promise Vidal made to Sen. Thom Tillis during Vidal's confirmation proceedings.