The NPEs increased their activity a bit in February after a pleasantly slow December and January.  The majority of cases continued to be filed by frequent filers, including Hawk Technology, JSDQ Mesh, PanTaurus, Phoenix Licensing and Shipping & Transit.

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.

T-Rex Property AB v. iPort Media Networks, LLC, (N.D. Ill.; S.D.N.Y.) (multiple cases).

Judges:           District Judge Amy J. St. Eve; District Judge Edmond E. Chang

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • iPort Media Networks, LLC
  • Destination Media, Inc.
  • Blue Outdoor, LLC

Plaintiff:        T-Rex Property AB

Pls. Cnsl:        Burke Warren MacKay & Serritella; and Farney Daniels

Patents:          6,430,603 (System for direct placement of commercial advertising, public service announcements and other content on electronic billboard displays); 7,382,334 (Digital information system); and RE 39,470 (Digital information system).

Global Equity Management (SA) Pty. Ltd. v. Expedia.com, (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • Expedia.com
  • Hotels.com, LP
  • CruiseShipCenters, LP
  • Expedia, Inc.
  • eBay Inc.
  • Travelocity USA, LP
  • Travago GmbH
  • Expedia, Inc.
  • Orbitz Worldwide, Inc.
  • Hotwire, Inc.
  • TripAdvisor, Inc.
  • Hipmunk, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Global Equity Management (SA) Pty. Ltd.

Pls. Cnsl:        Laminack Pirtle and Martines; and Ramey & Schwaller

Patent:            6,690,400 (Graphic user interface for resources management of super operating system based computers).

Personalized Media Communications, LLC v. Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:             Infringement

Defendant:     Funai Electric Co., Ltd.

Plaintiff:        Personalized Media Communications, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Capshaw DeRieux; Kheyfits PC; and Susman Godfrey

Patents:          7,747,217 (Signal processing apparatus and methods); 7,752,649 (Signal processing apparatus and methods); 7,752,650 (Signal processing apparatus and methods); 7,856,649 (Signal processing apparatus and methods); 8,675,775 (Signal processing apparatus and methods); and 8,711,885 (Signal processing apparatus and methods).

Shipping and Transit, LLC v. eBuys, Inc., (C.D. Cal.; S.D. Fla.; N.D. Cal.; S.D.N.Y.; D. Utah) (multiple cases).

Claim:             Infringement; Declaratory Judgment

Judges:           District Judge Kenneth A. Marra; Magistrate Judge James M. Hopkins; District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg; Magistrate Judge Dave Lee Brannon; District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas; Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow; Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead

Defendants:

  • eBuys, Inc.
  • Pharmapacks, LLC
  • CJ Pony Parts, Inc.
  • What She Buys
  • Shutterfly, Inc. d/b/a tinyprints.com
  • VelaTrack, Inc.
  • E&L Corporation d/b/a Cameta Camera
  • Tatcha, LLC
  • Jackthreads, Inc.
  • Del Sol, LC

Plaintiff:        Shipping and Transit, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Newport Trial Group; Leslie Robert Evans & Associates, Mitchell + Company; McCarter & English; and Workman Nydegger

Patents:            7,400,970 (System and method for an advance notification system for monitoring and reporting proximity of a vehicle); 6,415,207 (System and method for automatically providing vehicle status information); 6,763,299 (Notification systems and methods with notifications based upon prior stop locations); 6,904,359 (Notification systems and methods with user-definable notifications based upon occurance of events); and 7,400,970 (System and method for an advance notification system for monitoring and reporting proximity of a vehicle).

JSDQ Mesh Technologies LLC v. TECO Energy, Inc. et al, (M.D. Fla.).

Judges:           District Judge James S. Moody, Jr.; Magistrate Judge Julie S. Sneed

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Tampa Electric Company
  • TECO Energy, Inc.

Plaintiff:        JSDQ Mesh Technologies LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Haller Law

Patents:          7,286,828 (Method of call routing and connection); 7,916,648 (Method of call routing and connection); RE 43,675 (Wireless radio routing system); and RE 44,607 (Wireless mesh routing method).

Grecia v. DISH Network, LLC, (N.D. Cal.).

Claim:             Infringement

Defendant:     DISH Network, LLC

Plaintiff:        William Grecia

Pls. Cnsl:        Siprut

Patent:            8,887,308 (Digital cloud access (PDMAS part III)).

Hawk Technology Systems, LLC v. St. Vincent’s Medical Center, (D. Conn.; N.D. Tex.; W.D. La.; D. Colo.; D. Md.; N.D. Ohio) (multiple cases).

Judges:           District Judge Michael P. Shea; District Judge Sam A. Lindsay; District Judge William M. Nickerson

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Vincent’s Medical Center
  • Amarillo National Bank
  • School Board of Caddo Parish
  • Pioneer Group d/b/a Bronco Billy’s Sports Bar and Casino
  • University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, LLC
  • Great Lakes Outdoor Supply, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Hawk Technology Systems, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Lockridge Grindal Nauen; Whitmyer IP Group; Law Office of David Bailey; Henderson Dantone; Rosenblatt & Gosch; Maddox Hoppe Hoofnagle & Hafey; and The Law Office of Yousef M Faroniya

Patent:            RE 43,462 (Video monitoring and conferencing system).

PanTaurus LLC v. A10 Networks, Inc., (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • A10 Networks, Inc.
  • Allegro Software Development Corporation
  • Aviat Networks, Inc.
  • Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
  • EF Johnson Technologies, Inc.
  • Firetide, Inc.
  • Fortinet, Inc.
  • Neopost USA, Inc.
  • Riverbed Technologies, Inc.
  • Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
  • Thales e-Security, Inc.
  • ViaSat, Inc.
  • Vocera Communications, Inc.

Plaintiff:        PanTaurus LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Ferraiuoli LLC

Patent:            6,272,533 (Secure computer system and method of providing secure access to a computer system including a stand-alone switch operable to inhibit data corruption on a storage device).

Red River Innovations LLC v. Mrs. Fields Gifts, Inc., (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:             Infringement

Defendant:     Mrs. Fields Gifts, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Red River Innovations LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Black & Hamill; and Findlay & Craft

Patent:            7,958,138 (Method and apparatus for enhancing electronic reading by identifying relationships between sections of electronic text).

Marshall Feature Recognition, LLC v. ConocoPhillips Company, (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • ConocoPhillips Company
  • The Allstate Corporation

Plaintiff:        Marshall Feature Recognition, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Austin Hansley PLLC

Patents:          6,886,750 (Method and apparatus for accessing electronic data via a familiar printed medium); and 8,910,876 (Method and apparatus for accessing electronic data via a familiar printed medium).

Phoenix Licensing, LLC et al v. Cigna Corporation, (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Cigna Corporation
  • LendingClub Corporation
  • LoanDepot, Inc.
  • Marriot International, Inc.
  • CVS Health Corporation
  • SilverScript Insurance Company
  • Minnesota Life Insurance Company
  • Securian Financial Group, Inc.

Plaintiffs:

  • LPL Licensing, LLC
  • Phoenix Licensing, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Russ August & Kabat

Patents:          5,987,434 (Apparatus and method for transacting marketing and sales of financial products); 6,999,938 (Automated reply generation direct marketing system); 7,890,366 (Personalized communication documents, system and method for preparing same); 8,073,735 (System and method for automating financial document compliance); 8,234,184 (Automated reply generation direct marketing system); 8,738,435 (Method and apparatus for presenting personalized content relating to offered products and services); 7860744 (System and method for automatically providing personalized notices concerning financial products and/or services); 8,352,317 (System for facilitating production of variable offer communications; and 7,856,375 (Customized communication document creation system and method).