NPE filings began to increase in October, as they usually do in the beginning of Q4. Frequent filers included Hawk Technology, Reflection Code, Rothschild, Shipping & Transit, and Sockeye (as a declaratory judgment defendant). There were also large filings from Kobace and Location Services IP.
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 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 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.
Shipping and Transit, LLC v. Hayneedle Inc., (S.D. Fla.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas; Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow; District Judge William J. Zloch
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Hayneedle Inc.
- Yandy, LLC
- Knife Center, Inc.
Plaintiff: Shipping and Transit, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Leslie Robert Evans & Associates
Patent: 7,400,970 (System and method for an advance notification system for monitoring and reporting proximity of a vehicle).
T-Rex Property AB v. The Wellness Network, LLC, (S.D.N.Y.; S.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Interactivation Health Networks LLC
- Zipcast, LLC
- DMX Holdings, Inc.
- DMX, LLC
- DMX Residential Holdings, LLC
- DMX Residential, LLC
- Mood Media North America, LLC
- Muzak Holdings, LLC
- Muzak, LLC
- The Wellness Network, LLC
- Interactivation Health Networks LLC
- The Wellness Network
Plaintiff: T-Rex Property AB
Pls. Cnsl: Farney Daniels
Patent: RE 39,470 (Digital information system); and 7,382,334 (Digital information system).
Goade v. Parker Compound Bows, Inc., (M.D. Tenn.).
Judge: District Judge Aleta A. Trauger
Claim: Infringement
Defendant: Parker Compound Bows, Inc.
Plaintiff: Joseph Daniel Goade
Pls. Cnsl: Krisher Law Firm
Patents: 7,721,724 (Shock suppressor for a bow); and 7,753,044 (Shock suppressor for a bow).
Sockeye Licensing TX, LLC v. Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc., (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
- Amazon.com LLC
- ASUS Computer International
- Belkin International, Inc.
- BlackBerry Corp.
- Dell Inc.
- Epson America, Inc.
- Yakel Enterprises, LLC d/b/a Favi Entertainment
- Fujitsu America, Inc
- Harman International Industries, Inc.
- Hewlett-Packard Company
- HTC America, Inc.
- Huawei Technologies USA, Inc.
- IOGEAR, Inc.
- Lenovo (United States) Inc.
- LG Electronics USA, Inc.
- Logitech Inc.
- Measy Electronics Co., Ltd.
- NEC Corporation of America
- NETGEAR, Inc.
- NVIDIA Corporation
- Panasonic Corporation of North America
- Philips Electronics North America Corporation
- Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
- Ricoh Americas Corporation
- Rocketfish, Inc.
- Roku, Inc.
- Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
- Sharp Electronics Corporation
- Sony Corporation of America
- Toshiba America, Inc.
- Vtooland Tech. Ltd., d/b/a RioRand Advanced Technology
- Western Digital Corporation
- Yamaha Corporation of America
- ZTE (USA) Inc.
Plaintiff: Sockeye Licensing TX, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: DiNovo Price Ellwanger & Hardy
Patents: 8,135,342 (System, method and apparatus for using a wireless cell phone device to create a desktop computer and media center); and 8,879,987 (System, method and apparatus for using a wireless device to control other devices).
St. Luke Technologies, LLC v. Dell, Inc., (E.D. Tex.).
Claim: Infringement
Defendant: Dell Inc.
Plaintiff: St. Luke Technologies, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Capshaw DeRieux; and Olavi & Dunne
Patents: 7,181,017 (System and method for secure three-party communications); 7,587,368 (Information record infrastructure, system and method); 7,869,591 (System and method for secure three-party communications); 8,316,237 (System and method for secure three-party communications); 8,380,630 (Information record infrastructure, system and method); 8,600,895 (Information record infrastructure, system and method); and 8,904,181 (System and method for secure three-party communications).
Hennessy Industries, Inc. v. Plombco, Inc., (M.D. Tenn.).
Judge: District Judge William J. Haynes, Jr.
Claim: Infringement
Defendant: Plombco, Inc.
Plaintiff: Hennessy Industries, Inc.
Pls. Cnsl: Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Patent: 9,157,501 (Vehicle wheel balance weights).
LGRT Pro LLC v. Sherwood Management Co. Inc. d/b/a Daniel’s Jewelers, (E.D. Tex.).
Claim: Infringement
Defendant: Sherwood Management Co. Inc. d/b/a Daniel’s Jewelers
Plaintiff: LGRT Pro LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Corcoran IP Law
Patent: 6,895,554 (Method of document assembly).
Hawk Technology Systems, LLC v. Benny’s Carwash, LLC, (M.D. La.; D. Or.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge Shelly D. Dick; Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Riedlinger; District Judge Michael H. Simon; District Judge Colin Stirling Bruce; Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Benny’s Carwash, LLC
- ecoShuttle
- Presence Hospitals PRV
Plaintiff: Hawk Technology Systems, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Bohrer Brady; Henderson Dantone; Lockridge Grindal Nauen; Stoll Stoll Berne Lokting & Shlachter; and Media Litigation Firm
Patent: RE 43,462 (Video monitoring and conferencing system).
Rothschild Location Technologies LLC v. Imarda USA, Inc., (E.D. Tex.).
Judges: Magistrate Judge John D. Love; District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Imarda USA, Inc.
- GoFleet Corporation
- Smart Fleet LLC
Plaintiff: Rothschild Location Technologies LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Ni Wang & Massand
Patent: 8,606,503 (Device, system and method for remotely entering, storing and sharing addresses for a positional information device).
Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals LP et al v. Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. et al, (N.D.W.V.).
Judge: District Judge Irene M. Keeley
Claim: Infringement – ANDA
Defendants:
- Mylan Inc.
- Mylan Laboratories Limited
- Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Plaintiffs:
- AstraZeneca AB
- AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
- AstraZeneca UK Limited
Pls. Cnsl: O’Melveny & Myers; Thomas Combs & Spann; Ajay K Mago; Jeffrey L Crouch; and J Scott Anderson
Patents: 6,774,122 (Formulation); 7,456,160 (Formulation); 8,329,680 (Formulation); and 8,466,139 (Formulation).
AAVN, Inc. v. E&E Co., Ltd. d/b/a JLA Home, (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge Rodney Gilstrap; Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- E&E Co. Ltd., d/b/a JLA Home
- Sunham Home Fashions, LLC
Plaintiff: AAVN, Inc.
Pls. Cnsl: Ajay K Mago; Jeffrey L Crouch; and J Scott Anderson
Patent: 9,131,790 (Proliferated thread count of a woven textile by simultaneous insertion within a single pick insertion event of a loom apparatus multiple adjacent parallel yarns drawn from a multi-pick yarn package).
N5 Techologies LLC v. SunTrust Banks, Inc. et al, (E.D. Va.).
Judges: Senior District Judge Claude M. Hilton; Magistrate Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
Plaintiff: AAVN, Inc.
Pls. Cnsl: Ajay K Mago; Jeffrey L Crouch; and J Scott Anderson
Patent: 9,131,790 (Proliferated thread count of a woven textile by simultaneous insertion within a single pick insertion event of a loom apparatus multiple adjacent parallel yarns drawn from a multi-pick yarn package).
N5 Techologies LLC v. SunTrust Banks, Inc. et al, (E.D. Va.).
Judges: Senior District Judge Claude M. Hilton; Magistrate Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- SunTrust Bank
- SunTrust Banks, Inc.
Plaintiff: N5 Techologies LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Davidson Berquist Jackson & Gowdey
Patent: 7,197,297 (Authentication method for enabling a user of a mobile station to access to private data or services).
Reflection Code LLC v. Kohl’s Corporation, (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Judge: District Judge Rodney Gilstrap
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Kohl’s Corporation
- Kellogg Company
- Michaels Stores, Inc.
- General Mills, Inc.
- Nestle Purina PetCare Company
- Land O’Lakes, Inc.
- Gerber Products
- ACCO Brands Corporation
Plaintiff: Reflection Code LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Devlin Law Firm
Patents: 7,963,446 (Bar code device); 8,733,657 (Barcode device); and 8,763,907 (Barcode device).
eCeipt LLC v. The Home Depot, Inc. et al, (E.D. Tex.).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- The Home Depot, Inc.
- The Home Depot USA, Inc.
Plaintiff: eCeipt LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Spangler Law; and Stamoulis & Weinblatt
Patent: 8,643,875 (Receipt handling systems, print drivers and methods thereof).
Best Buy Stores, LP et al v. Wildcat Licensing LLC et al, (N.D. Ill.).
Claim: Declaratory Judgment
Defendants:
- Jeffrey W Salmon
- Sockeye Licensing TX LLC
- Wildcat Licensing LLC
Plaintiffs:
- BestBuy.com, LLC
- Best Buy Purchasing, LLC d/b/a Insignia Products
- Best Buy Stores LP
Pls. Cnsl: Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone; and Robins Kaplan
Patents: 8,135,342 (System, method and apparatus for using a wireless cell phone device to create a desktop computer and media center); and 8,879,987 (System, method and apparatus for using a wireless device to control other devices).
Sony Electronics Inc. et al v. Wildcat Licensing LLC et al, (N.D. Ill.).
Claim: Declaratory Judgment
Defendants:
- Jeffrey W Salmon
- Sockeye Licensing TX LLC
- Wildcat Licensing LLC
Plaintiffs:
- Sony Electronics, Inc.
- Sony Mobile Communications (USA) Inc.
Pls. Cnsl: Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner
Patents: 8,135,342 (System, method and apparatus for using a wireless cell phone device to create a desktop computer and media center); and 8,879,987 (System, method and apparatus for using a wireless device to control other devices).
Kobace LLC v. 1-800-Contacts, Inc., (E.D. Tex.).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- A City Discount, Inc.
- adidas America Inc.
- Aeropostale, Inc.
- American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
- American Girl Brands, LLC
- Art.com, Inc.
- Aveda Corporation
- B&H Foto & Electronics Corp.
- BarnesandNoble.com, Inc.
- BPS Direct, LLC
- Beaucoup Wedding Favors, Inc.
- Best Buy Co., Inc.
- Big Fish Games, Inc.
- FullBeauty Brands, LP d/b/a KingSize
- GameStop, Inc.
- Lane Bryant, Inc.
- Overstock.com, Inc.
- Rakuten USA, Inc.
- TigerDirect, Inc.
Plaintiff: Kobace LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Chaudhari Law
Patent: 8,626,818 (System and method for generating user contexts for targeted advertising).
Location Services IP, LLC v. Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, (E.D. Tex.).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC
- Comcast Corporation
- Groupon, Inc.
- priceline.com LLC
- McDonald’s Corporation
- McDonald’s USA, LLC
- shopkick, Inc.
Plaintiff: Location Services IP, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Collins Edmonds Pogorzelski Schlather & Tower
Patents: 6,202,023 (Internet based geographic location referencing system and method); 6,356,834 (Geographic location referencing system and method); and 8,935,220 (Unified geographic database and method of creating, maintaining and using the same).
Tangelo IP, LLC v. Euromarket Design, Inc. d/b/a Crate & Barrel, (E.D. Tex.).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- HD Supply Holdings, Inc.
- HD Supply, Inc.
- Mary Kay Inc.
- New Moosejaw, LLC
- Wal-Mart
Plaintiff: Tangelo IP, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Collins Edmonds Pogorzelski Schlather & Tower
Patent: 8,429,005 (Method for determining effectiveness of display of objects in advertising images).