The NPEs kicked off 2018 with a slow month. Frequent filers included Epic IP, Internet Media Interactive, LBS Innovations, PersonalWeb Technologies, Rothschild, and Symbology.
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 your suggestions for improving the report.
LBS Innovations, LLC v. Best Buy Co., Inc. et al. (E.D. Tex.).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Best Buy Co., Inc.
- Car Toys, Inc.
- Fry’s Electronics, Inc.
Plaintiff: LBS Innovations, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Buether Joe & Carpenter
Patent: 6,091,956 (Situation information system).
PersonalWeb Technologies, LLC et al v. Airbnb, Inc. (N.D. Cal.; C.D. Cal.; E.D.N.Y.; S.D.N.Y.; E.D. Tex.; D. Del.) (multiple cases).
Judge: Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Airbnb, Inc.
- Amicus FTW, Inc.
- Atlassian, Inc.
- Cloud 66, Inc.
- Curebit, Inc.
- Doximity, Inc.
- Fandor, Inc.
- Goldbely, Inc.
- GoPro, Inc.
- Heroku, Inc.
- Leap Motion, Inc.
- Lithium Technologies, Inc.
- Melian Labs, Inc.
- MyFitnessPal, Inc.
- Optimizely, Inc.
- Popsugar, Inc.
- Reddit, Inc.
- Stitchfix, Inc.
- Stumbleupon, Inc.
- Teespring, Inc.
- Venmo, Inc.
- Webflow, Inc.
- Quotient Technology, Inc.
- Roblox Corporation
- Smugmug, Inc.
- Tophatter, Inc.
- Spokeo, Inc.
- Vend Inc.
- Vend Limited
- Square, Inc.
- Atlas Obscura Inc.
- BDG Media, Inc.
- Bitly, Inc.
- Blue Apron, LLC
- Centaur Media USA, Inc.
- E-consultancy.com Limited
- Fab Commerce & Design, Inc.
- Food52, Inc.
- Panjiva, Inc.
- Ziff Davis, LLC
- Cloud Warmer Inc.
- Kickstarter, PBC
- Group Nine Media, Inc.
- Thrillist Media Group, Inc.
- FanDuel Inc.
- FanDuel Limited
- ELEQT Group, Ltd.
- RocketHub, Inc.
- Spongecell, Inc.
- Yotpo Ltd
- Lesson Nine GmbH
- Fiverr International Ltd.
- HootSuite Media, Inc.
- MWM My Wedding Match Ltd.
- Merkle, Inc.
- Capterra, Inc.
- Karma Mobility Inc.
- LiveChat, Inc.
- LiveChat Software SA
- Match Group, Inc.
- Match Group, LLC
- WeddingWire, Inc.
Plaintiffs:
- Level 3 Communications, LLC
- PersonalWeb Technologies, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Level 3 Communications; IP Law Group; Maceiko IP; Kent Beatty & Gordon; The Stafford Davis Firm; and SethLaw
Patents: 5,978,791 (Data processing system using substantially unique identifiers to identify data items, whereby identical data items have the same identifiers); 6,928,442 (Enforcement and policing of licensed content using content-based identifiers); 7,802,310 (Controlling access to data in a data processing system); 7,945,544 (Similarity-based access control of data in a data processing system); and 8,099,420 (Accessing data in a data processing system).
Proxicom Wireless, LLC v. Macy’s, Inc. et al. (M.D. Fla.).
Judges: District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr.; Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Kelly
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Macy’s Florida Stores, LLC
- Macy’s, Inc.
Plaintiff: Proxicom Wireless, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Bunsow De Mory; and King Blackwell Zehnder & Wermuth
Patents: 8,090,359 (Exchanging identifiers between wireless communication to determine further information to be exchanged or further services to be provided); 8,116,749 (Protocol for anonymous wireless communication); and 8,374,592 (Exchanging identifiers between wireless communication to determine further information to be exchanged or further services to be provided).
Internet Media Interactive Corp. v. Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (N.D. Ill.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer; District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated
- Hyatt Corporation
- Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Plaintiff: Internet Media Interactive Corp.
Pls. Cnsl: Haller Law
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).
MyMail, Ltd. v. Canon Solutions America, Inc. (E.D. Tex.; W.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Canon Solutions America, Inc.
- Canon USA, Inc.
- HP Inc. f/k/a Hewlett-Packard Company
- Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Lenovo Group Ltd.
- Lenovo (United States) Inc.
- Motorola Mobility, LLC
Plaintiff: MyMail, Ltd.
Pls. Cnsl: Collins Edmonds & Schlather
Patents: 8,732,318 (Method of connecting a user to a network); and 8,993,300 (Overexpression of phytase genes in yeast systems).
Epic IP LLC v. AutoNation, Inc. (D. Del.) (multiple cases).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- AutoNation, Inc.
- Blue Jeans Network, Inc.
- Backblaze, Inc.
Plaintiff: Epic IP LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Direction IP Law; and Stamoulis & Weinblatt
Patent: 6,434,599 (Method and apparatus for on-line chatting).
Symbology Innovations, LLC v. Chewy.com (S.D. Fla.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge K. Michael Moore; District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga; District Judge Kathleen M. Williams
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Chewy.com
- Fidelity National Title Group
- G4S Secure Solutions (USA), Inc.
- Tech Data Corporation
Plaintiff: Symbology Innovations, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Cunningham Swaim
Patents: 7,992,773 (System and method for presenting information about an object on a portable electronic device); 8,424,752 (System and method for presenting information about an object on a portable electronic device); 8,651,369 (System and method for presenting information about an object on a portable device); and 8,936,190 (System and method for presenting information about an object on a portable electronic device).
Spider Search Analytics LLC v. Lenovo Holding Company, Inc. (D. Del.) (multiple cases).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Lenovo Holding Company, Inc.
- Monotype Imaging Holdings, Inc.
- TrendKite, Inc.
Plaintiff: Spider Search Analytics LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Ferraiuoli; and Stamoulis & Weinblatt
Patent: 7,454,430 (System and method for facts extraction and domain knowledge repository creation from unstructured and semi-structured documents).
Rothschild Patent Imaging, LLC v. Horizon Hobby, LLC (N.D. Ill.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge Edmond E. Chang; District Judge Joan B. Gottschall
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Horizon Hobby, LLC
- The Firelands Group, LLC
Plaintiff: Rothschild Patent Imaging, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Kizzia Johnson; and Rabicoff Law
Patents: 8,204,437 (Wireless image distribution system and method); and 8,437,797 (Wireless image distribution system and method).