The trolls started January with a bang.  Several trolls started their first cases or filed significant additional cases, including:  Express Card, EMG Technology, Diet Goal Innovations, and c4cast.  A few frequent fliers also remained busy:  Eclipse IP, GeoTag, and Lodsys.

As usual, I prepared the report in partnership with and using Docket Navigator and its powerful database.  Docket Navigator is a valuable 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 a particular case, 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 or 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.

Express Card Systems LLC v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).

Judge:             District Judge Leonard Davis

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendants:

  • Costco Wholesale Corporation
  • CVS Caremark Corporation
  • Supervalu Inc.
  • Meijer Inc.
  • Rite Aid Corporation
  • Shutterfly, Inc.
  • Hewlett-Packard Company
  • Target Corporation
  • Vistaprint NV
  • Walgreen Co.
  • Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Express Card Systems LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Innovalaw; and Tadlock Law Firm

Patents:           5,552,994 (System for printing social expression cards in response to electronically transmitted orders); and 5,748,484 (System for printing social expression cards in response to electronically transmitted orders).

EMG Technology, LLC v. Foot Locker, Inc. et al, (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases). 

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendants:

  • CCS Direct, LLC
  • Eastbay, Inc
  • Foot Locker, Inc.
  • Pottery Barn, Inc.
  • West Elm, Inc.
  • Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
  • Coach, Inc.

Plaintiff:         EMG Technology, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell; and Parker Bunt & Ainsworth

Patent:            7,441,196 (Apparatus and method of manipulating a region on a wireless device screen for viewing, zooming and scrolling internet content).

Patent Group, LLC v. SkyMall, Inc., (E.D. Tex. (multiple cases). 

Judge:             District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendants:

  • Skymall, Inc.
  • Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
  • Under Armour, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Patent Group, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Martin Walker; and The Stafford Davis Firm

Patent:            6,603,490 (Web site screen rotation).

Orientview Technologies LLC v. Shoedazzle.Com, Inc., (D. Del.) 

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendant:     Orientview Technologies LLC

Plaintiff:         ShoeDazzle.com, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Stamoulis & Weinblatt

Patent:            7,000,183 (Method and apparatus for viewer-specific presentation of information).

Steelhead Licensing LLC v. Dell, Inc., (D. Del.). 

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendant:     Dell Inc.

Plaintiff:         Steelhead Licensing LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Bayard; and Ferraiuoli

Patent:            5,491,834 (Mobile radio handover initiation determination).

ArrivalStar SA et al v. Tracker Systems, Inc., (N.D. Ill.) (multiple cases). 

Judge:             District Judge Gary Feinerman

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendants:

  • Tracker Systems, Inc.
  • Birds Eye Global Tracking, LLC
  • Exact Point Global Tracking, LLC

Plaintiffs:

  • ArrivalStar SA
  • Melvino Technologies Limited

Pls. Cnsl:        Dowell IP

Patents:           6,714,859 (System and method for an advance notification system for monitoring and reporting proximity of a vehicle); 6,952,645 (System and method for activation of an advance notification system for monitoring and reporting status of vehicle travel); and 7,191,058 (Notification systems and methods enabling user entry of notification trigger information based upon monitored mobile vehicle location).

e.Digital Corporation v. Fujifilm Corporation et al, (S.D. Cal.) 

Judges:           Magistrate Judge Barbara Lynn Major, District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendants:

  • Best Buy
  • Brookstone Company, Inc.
  • Crutchfield Corporation
  • Fujifilm
  • Kmart Corporation
  • Sears, Roebuck and Co.
  • Target Corporation
  • Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Plaintiff:         e.Digital Corporation

Pls. Cnsl:        Handal & Associates

Patents:           5,491,774 (Handheld record and playback device with flash memory); 5,742,737 (Method for recording voice messages on flash memory in a hand held recorder); and 5,842,170 (Method for editing in hand held recorder).

Walker Digital, LLC v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., (D. Del.) (multiple cases).

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendants:

  • Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  • Toys“R”Us, Inc.
  • 7-Eleven, Inc.
  • Amazon.com, Inc.
  • PayNearMe, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Walker Digital, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Stamoulis & Weinblatt

Patent:            6,381,582 (Method and system for processing payments for remotely purchased goods).

c4cast.com, Inc. v. Kohl’s Corporation et al, (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases). 

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendants:

  • Kohl’s
  • LL Bean, Inc.
  • Recreational Equipment, Inc.
  • Sears
  • A H Belo Corporation
  • Denton Publishing Company
  • The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
  • The Providence Journal Co.
  • Huron Publishing Company, Inc.
  • The Hearst Corporation

Plaintiff:         c4cast.com, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Ni Wang & Associates

Patents:           6,658,467 (Provision of informational resources over an electronic network); and 7,958,204 (Community-selected content).  

DietGoal Innovations LLC v. Mrs. Fields Famous Brands, LLC, (E.D. Tex.) 

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendant:     Mrs. Fields Famous Brands, LLC

Plaintiff:         DietGoal Innovations LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Buether Joe & Carpenter; and Law Offices of Damon Young

Patent:            6,585,516 (Method and system for computerized visual behavior analysis, training, and planning).

FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. v. Eclipse IP LLC, (N.D. Ga.). 

Claim:             Declaratory Judgment 

Defendant:     Eclipse IP LLC

Plaintiff:         FedEx Corporate Services, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner

Patents:           7,119,716 (Response systems and methods for notification systems for modifying future notifications); 7,319,414 (Secure notification messaging systems and methods using authentication indicia); 7,479,899 (Notification systems and methods enabling a response to cause connection between a notified PCD and a delivery or pickup representative); 7,482,952 (Response systems and methods for notification systems for modifying future notifications); and 7,876,239 (Secure notification messaging systems and methods using authentication indicia).

Patent Harbor, LLC v. Dell, Inc., (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases). 

Judge:             District Judge Leonard Davis

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Dell Inc.
  • Hewlett-Packard Company

Plaintiff:         Patent Harbor, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Albritton Law Firm; Ward & Smith Law Firm; and Wong Cabello Lutsch Rutherford & Brucculeri

Patent:            5,684,514 (Apparatus and method for assembling content addressable video).

Lodsys Group, LLC v. Crocs, Inc. et al, (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).

Judge:             District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendant:

  • Crocs, Inc.
  • Oriental Trading Company, Inc.
  • Saks Incorporated
  • Somerset Investments, Inc.
  • Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.
  • Edmac Industries, Inc.
  • Implix USA, Inc.
  • Orchid Cellmark, Inc.
  • General Motors, Inc.
  • The Jones Group Inc.

Plaintiff:         Lodsys Group, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Kelley Goldfarb Gill Huck & Roth; and The Davis Firm

Patents:           7,222,078 (Methods and systems for gathering information from units of a commodity across a network); and 7,620,565 (Customer-based product design module).

MyMedicalRecords, Inc. v. Walgreen Co., (C.D. Cal.). 

Judges:           Magistrate Judge Stephen J. Hillman, District Judge George H. King

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendant:     Walgreen Co.

Plaintiff:         MyMedicalRecords, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Liner Grode Stein Yankelevitz Sunshine Regenstreif & Taylor

Patent:            8,301,466 (Method and system for providing online records).

GeoTag, Inc. v. OnTargetJobs, Inc., (E.D. Tex.)  (multiple cases).

Judge:            District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claim:            Infringement 

Defendants:

  • OnTargetJobs, Inc.
  • Oracle Corporation
  • People Answers, Inc.
  • International Business Machines Corporation
  • netMedia, LLC
  • Kronos, Inc.

Plaintiff:         GeoTag, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Direction IP Law; Mount Spelman & Fingerman; and Tadlock Law Firm

Patent:            5,930,474 (Internet organizer for accessing geographically and topically based information).

Eclipse IP LLC v. JC Penney Company, Inc., (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).

Claim:             Infringement 

Defendants:

  • JC Penney Company, Inc.
  • Pier 1 Imports, Inc.
  • Radioshack Corporation
  • The Men’s Wearhouse, Inc.
  • GameStop Corp.

Plaintiff:         Eclipse IP LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Smith   Gillam & Smith

Patents:           7,119,716 (Response systems and methods for notification systems for modifying future notifications); 7,319,414 (Secure notification messaging systems and methods using authentication indicia); 7,876,239 (Secure notification messaging systems and methods using authentication indicia); 7,479,899 (Notification systems and methods enabling a response to cause connection between a notified PCD and a delivery or pickup representative); and 7,482,952 (Response systems and methods for notification systems for modifying future notifications).