Patent trolls took their summer vacation in July, but returned to work in August.  There was a bit of a lull toward the end of the month, but it was still active. As usual, I prepared the report in partnership with and using Docket Navigator and its powerful database. Docket Navigator is a powerful resource, and the place to go if you want to keep track of new patent litigation filings or want to know what is happening in particular cases, how your judge has historically handled a particular type of motion, or a particular plaintiff’s litigation history. Finally, please let me know if you have thoughts about the report and changes you would like to see. I am preparing it as a service for retailers and their supply chain who may want an overview of the patent litigation landscape. So, I am very open to ways to improve the report for you. SFA Systems, LLC v. Amazon.com, Inc., (3 E.D. Texas cases)

  • Claim: Infringement
  • Defendants:
    • Amazon.com, Inc.
    • Buy.Com, Inc.
    • Dollar Tree, Inc.
    • Dollar Tree Stores, Inc.
    • DSW, Inc.
    • Meijer, Inc.
    • New York & Company
    • Rite Aid Corporation
    • Symantec Corporation
    • Target Corporation
    • TigerDirect, Inc.
    • Zappos.com, Inc.
    • Zappos Development, Inc.
    • BarnesandNoble.com LLC
    • Barnes & Noble, Inc.
    • Gander Mountain Company
    • Newegg.com Inc.
    • Newegg Inc.
    • Overton’s Inc.
    • BigMachines, Inc.
    • CareStream Health, Inc.
    • Enterasys Networks, Inc.Ricoh Americas Corporation
  • Plaintiff: SFA Systems, LLC
  • Counsel: Russ August & Kabat
  • Patent: 7,941,341
  • Comments: This is a suit based upon a newly issued patent filed against the existing entities in a prior suit accusing technology that identifies additional items a user may want to purchase based upon prior actions on a website.

Technology Innovations, LLC v. Amazon.com, Inc., 1-11-cv-00690 (D. Del.)

  • Claim:              Infringement
  • Defendant: Amazon.com, Inc.
  • Plaintiff: Technology Innovations, LLC
  • Counsel: Goldstein & Lipski and Morris James
  • Patents: 5,517,407 and 7,429,965
  • Comment: Device for including enhancing information with printed information and method for electronic searching thereof

Meridian Enterprises Corporation v. Rewards Network, Inc., 4-11-cv-01377 (E.D. Mo.)

  • Claim:              Infringement
  • Defendant: Rewards Network Inc
  • Plaintiff: Meridian Enterprises Corporation
  • Counsel: Brown & James and Woodard Emhardt Moriarty McNett & Henry
  • Patent: 6,222,914
  • Comment: System and method for administration of an incentive award system having a delayed award payment using a credit instrument

Wolfram Alpha LLC et al v. Lodsys LLC, 2-11-cv-00750 (E.D. Wis.)

  • Judge: Joseph
  • Claim: Declaratory Judgment
  • DJ Plaintiff: Wolfram Alpha LLC & Wolfram Research Inc.
  • Counsel: Jenner & Block
  • DJ Defendant:Lodsys LLC
  • Patents: 5,999,908; 7,133,834; 7,222,078 & 7,620,565
  • Comments: The patents are focused on mobiled apps.ustomer-based product design module

TA Operating LLC v. Cascades Branding Innovation LLC et al, 1-11-cv-11432 (D. Mass.)

  • Claim: Declaratory Judgment
  • DJ Defendant:Cascades Branding Innovation LLC & N99 LLC
  • DJ Plaintiff: TA Operating LLC
  • Counsel: Cooley Manion Jones and Kaye Scholer
  • Patent: 7,768,395

Adobe Systems Incorporated v. Kelora Systems LLC, 3-11-cv-03938 (N.D. Cal.)

  • Judge:              Spero
  • Claim: Declaratory Judgment
  • DJ Defendant:Kelora Systems, LLC
  • DJ Plaintiff: Adobe Systems Inc.
  • Counsel: Fish & Richardson
  • Patent: 6,275,821
  • Comment: This is not directly a retailer suit, but numerous retailers have been sued or are being threatened with suit by Kelora.  Kelora is accusing parametric search functionality on websites.

Ameranth, Inc. v. Pizza Hut, Inc. et al, 3-11-cv-01810 (S.D. Cal.)

  • Judge: Sammartino
  • Claim:              Infringement  
  • Defendants:
    • Domino’s Pizza, Inc.
    • Domino’s Pizza LLC
    • GrubHub, Inc.
    • LaughStub LLC
    • Netwaiter, LLC
    • OpenTable, Inc.
    • Papa John’s USA, Inc.
    • Pizza Hut, Inc.
    • Pizza Hut Of America, Inc.
  • Plaintiff: Ameranth, Inc.
  • Counsel: Mazzarella Caldarelli
  • Patents: 6,384,850; & 6,871,325.
  • Comments: Information management and synchronous communications system with menu generation

Select Retrieval, LLC v. Aqua Superstore, Inc. et al, 6-11-cv-01348 (M.D. Fla.)

  • Judge: Scriven
  • Claim:              Infringement  
  • Defendants:
    • Aqua Superstore, Inc.
    • Belk Ecommerce LLC
    • Benchmark Brands Inc.
    • Chico’s FAS, Inc.
    • ivgStores, LLC
    • Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
    • Lumber Liquidators, Inc.
    • Market America, Inc.
    • RoomsToGo.com, Inc.
    • The Home Depot, Inc.
    • Thompson And Company Of Tampa, Inc.
    • VF Corporation
    • Vitacost.com,Inc.,
    • Winchester Carpet & Rug Company
  • Counsel: Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist
  • Patents: 5,953,724; 6,128,617
  • Comments: Global database library data structure for hierarchical graphical listing computer software

Pinpoint Incorporated v. Groupon, Inc. et al, 1-11-cv-05597 (N.D. Ill.)

  • Judge: Grady
  • Claim:              Infringement
  • Defendants:
    • Groupon, Inc.
    • Hotwire Inc.
    • LL Bean, Inc.
    • Orbitz, LLC
  • Plaintiff: Pinpoint Incorporated
  • Counsel: Niro Haller & Niro
  • Patents: 5,754,938 & 7,853,600

Stambler v. Neiman Marcus, Inc. et al, 2-11-cv-00363 (E.D. Tex.)

  • Claim: Infringement
  • Defendant: Neiman Marcus entities
  • Plaintiff: Leon Stambler
  • Counsel: Albritton Law Firm and Nelson Bumgardner Casto
  • Patent: 5,936,541

Del Monte Fresh Produce Company v. Webvention Holdings LLC, et al., 1-11-cv-00748 (D. Del.)

  • Claim: Declaratory Judgment
  • DJ Defendant:Webvention
  • DJ Plaintiff: Del Monte Fresh Produce Company
  • Counsel: K&L Gates and Potter Anderson & Corroon
  • Patent: 5,251,294

Marketing Technology Concepts, Inc. v. LaunchSpring, LLC et al., 1-11-cv-05939 (N.D. Ill.)

  • Judge: Hibbler
  • Claim:             Infringement
  • Defendants:
    • Excellence In Motivation, Inc.
    • LaunchSpring, LLC
  • Plaintiff: Marketing Technology Concepts, Inc.
  • Counsel: Niro Haller & Niro
  • Patent:             7,778,870