September continued the summer trend of relatively active NPEs into the fall.  Frequent filers included 511 Technologies, BillingNetwork Patents, e.Digital, Hawk Technology 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.

Venadium LLC v. BuzzFeed, Inc., (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • BuzzFeed, Inc.
  • JD Power & Associates
  • LivingSocial, Inc.
  • Spotify USA Inc.
  • WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post

Plaintiff:        Venadium LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Corcoran IP Law

Patent:           6,330,549 (Protected shareware).

Hawk Technology Systems, LLC v. BillyBey Ferry Company, LLC, (S.D.N.Y.; S.D. Miss.; C.D. Cal.) (multiple cases).

Judges:           Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball; District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III; Magistrate Judge Linda R. Anderson; District Judge Henry T. Wingate; District Judge David C. Bramlette, III; Magistrate Judge Michael T. Parker; District Judge Keith Starrett

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • BillyBey Ferry Company, LLC
  • Fred’s, Inc.
  • Goodwill Industries of Mississippi
  • Natchez Casino OpCo, LLC
  • Premier Gaming Group, Inc.
  • The Laurel School District
  • AMAG Technology, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Hawk Technology Systems, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        The James Law Firm; Henderson Dantone

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

MyMail, Ltd. v. Yahoo!, Inc., (E.D. Tex.).

Judges:           District Judge Rodney Gilstrap; Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne

Claim:             Infringement

Defendant:     Yahoo! Inc.

Plaintiff:        MyMail, Ltd.

Pls. Cnsl:        Buether Joe & Carpenter

Patents:          8,275,863 (Method of modifying a toolbar); and 9,021,070 (Dynamically modifying a toolbar).

511 Technologies, Inc. et al v. Dassault Systemes Americas Corp. et al, (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • Dassault Systémes Americas Corporation
  • Dassault Systémes SE

Plaintiffs:

  • 511 Technologies, Inc.
  • Caddo Systems, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Russ August & Kabat

Patents:          7,191,411 (Active path menu navigation system); 7,216,301 (Active path menu navigation system); 7,640,517 (Active path menu navigation system); 7,725,836 (Active path navigation system); and 8,352,880 (Active path navigation system).

Grecia v. 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc., (S.D.N.Y.) (multiple cases).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc.
  • com, LLC
  • J Crew Group, Inc.
  • The Neiman-Marcus Group, Inc.
  • Adorama Camera, Inc.

Plaintiff:        William Grecia

Pls. Cnsl:        Wawrzyn & Jarvis

Patents:          8,533,860 (Personalized digital media access system–PDMAS part II); and 8,402,555 (Personalized digital media access system (PDMAS).

BillingNetwork Patent, Inc. v. VisionWeb Holdings, LLC, (N.D. Ill.).

Judge:             District Judge John Z. Lee

Claim:             Infringement

Defendant:     VisionWeb Holdings, LLC

Plaintiff:        BillingNetwork Patent, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Haller Law; and Noble IP

Patent:           6,374,229 (Integrated internet facilitated billing, data processing and communication system).

Internet Media Interactive Corporation v. WW Grainger, Inc., (N.D. Ill.).

Claim:             Infringement

Defendant:     WW Grainger, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Internet Media Interactive Corporation

Pls. Cnsl:        Haller Law; and Noble IP

Patent:           6,049,835 (System for providing easy access to the World Wide Web utilizing a published list of preselected Internet locations together with their unique multi-digit jump codes).

Stonemark Technologies LLC v. Staples, Inc. et al, (E.D. Tex.).

Judges:           District Judge Rodney Gilstrap; Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Staples Global Markets, Inc.
  • Staples, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Stonemark Technologies LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Russ August & Kabat; and The Stafford Davis Firm

Patents:          7,050,654 (Methods for generating composite images including positioning grid);7,236,647 (Methods and apparatuses for generating composite images including warping); 7,315,659 (Methods for generating composite images including filtering and embroidery price calculation); and 7,835,591 (Methods and apparatus for generating composite images).

e.Digital Corporation v. NETGEAR, Inc., (N.D. Cal.) (multiple cases).

Judges:           Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley; Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim; Magistrate Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte

Claim:              Infringement

Defendants:

  • NETGEAR, Inc.
  • Netatmo LLC
  • Y-Cam Solutions, LLC

Plaintiff:        e.Digital Corporation

Pls. Cnsl:        Handal & Associates

Patents:          8,311,522 (System and method for managing mobile communications); 8,311,524 (System and method for managing mobile communications); 9,002,331 (System and method for managing mobile communications); and 9,178,983 (System and method for managing mobile communications).

Z-Firm, LLC v. Shipping and Transit, LLC et al, (W.D. Wash.).

Claim:            Declaratory Judgment

Defendants:

  • Martin Kelly Jones
  • Shipping and Transit, LLC

Plaintiff:        Z-Firm, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Lowe Graham Jones

Patents:          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).

NM, LLC v. The TJX Companies, Inc., (E.D. Del.).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • The TJX Companies, Inc.
  • The Quikrete Companies, LLC

Plaintiff:        NM, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        O’Kelly & Ernst

Patents:          6,199,048 (System and method for automatic access of a remote computer over a network); and 8,131,597 (System and method for using an ordinary article of commerce to access a remote computer).

Profile Protector LLC v. LinkedIn Corporation, (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:              Infringement

Defendant:     LinkedIn Corporation

Plaintiff:        Profile Protector LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        One LLP

Patent:           8,527,596 (System and method for monitoring activity of a specified user on internet-based social networks).

Custom Dynamics LLC v. New Rage Cycles et al, (E.D.N.C.).

Judge:             District Judge W. Earl Britt

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Justin Vogel
  • New Rage Cycles

Plaintiff:        Custom Dynamics LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Coats & Bennett

Patents:          8,192,061 (Annular lighting fixture and method for illumination); 8,876,331 (Annular lighting fixture and method for illumination); D 605,345 (Light fixture); and D 611,187 (Light fixture).

Plano Encryption Technologies, LLC v. Alkami Technology, Inc., (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).

Judge:             District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Alkami Technology, Inc.
  • Shutterfly, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Plano Encryption Technologies, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Capshaw DeRieux; and The Pitcock Law Group

Patents:          5,974,550 (Method for strongly authenticating another process in a different address space); and 5,991,399 (Method for securely distributing a conditional use private key to a trusted entity on a remote system).

Retrospection Marketing LLC v. Lowe’s Companies, Inc., (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:              Infringement

Defendant:     Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Retrospection Marketing LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        One LLP; and The Stafford Davis Firm

Patent:           7,296,062 (Method for generating a presentation for re-locating an information page that has already been called).

GroupChatter, LLC v. Rakuten, Inc. et al, (N.D. Ga.).

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Rakuten, Inc.
  • Viber Media, Inc.
  • Viber Media Sarl

Plaintiff:        GroupChatter, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Kent & Risley; and Taylor Dunham and Rodriguez

Patents:          7,945,249 (Next generation social networking and content rating system and method); 8,588,207 (Method and apparatus for efficient and deterministic group alerting); 9,014,659 (Method and apparatus for efficient and deterministic group alerting); and 9,294,888 (Method and apparatus for efficient and deterministic group alerting).

Freeny et al v. Sears, Roebuck & Co. et al, (E.D. Tex.).

Claim:              Infringement

Defendants:

  • Sears Holdings Management Corporation
  • Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Plaintiffs:

  • Bryan E Freeny
  • Charles C Freeny, III
  • James P Freeny

Pls. Cnsl:        Banys; and Truelove Law Firm

Patents:          6,076,071 (Automated synchronous product pricing and advertising system); and 6,513,016 (Automated synchronous product pricing and advertising system).

Verify Smart Corp. v. Valley National Bancorp, (D.N.J.).

Claim:              Infringement

Defendant:     Valley National Bancorp

Plaintiff:          Verify Smart Corp.

Pls. Cnsl:        Zimmerman Weiser & Paray

Patent:           8,285,648 (System and method for verifying a user’s identity in electronic transactions).