April continued the 2018 trend of very slight increases, while NPE activity remained slow, presumably waiting for an Oil States decision to determine whether PTAB proceedings were constitutional (spoiler alert – they are constitutional, at least on the narrow ground put before the Supreme Court).  Frequent filers included CXT Systems, Grecia, Hawk Technology, Internet Media Interactive, Landmark Technology, Linksmart Wireless Technology, Reflection Code, Secure Cam, 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.

Reflection Code LLC v. Mucci Farms Ltd. et al. (E.D. Mich.).

Judges:           Magistrate Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis; District Judge Denise Page Hood

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Mucci Farms Ltd.
  • Mucci International Manufacturing Inc.
  • Mucci Pac USA Ltd.

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).

Vindolor, LLC v. Buc-ee’s, Ltd. (W.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • Buc-ee’s, Ltd.
  • Euromarket Designs Inc. d/b/a Crate & Barrel
  • Spec’s Family Partners, Ltd. d/b/a/ Spec’s Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods
  • Retail Services & Systems, Inc. d/b/a Total Wine & More

Plaintiff:        Vindolor, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        The Mort Law Firm

Patent:            6,213,391 (Portable system for personal identification based upon distinctive characteristics of the user).

Moore & Giles, Inc. v. Landmark Technology, LLC (W.D. Va.).

Judge:             District Judge Norman K. Moon

Claim:             Declaratory Judgment

Defendant:     Landmark Technology, LLC

Plaintiff:        Moore & Giles, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Woods Rogers

Patent:            6,289,319 (Automatic business and financial transaction processing system).

Symbology Innovations LLC v. Otter Products, LLC (D. Colo.; D. Del.; N.D. Ill.) (multiple cases).

Judges:           Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty; District Judge Ruben Castillo

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Otter Products, LLC
  • 3M Company d/b/a Filtrete
  • Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. d/b/a Entenmann’s
  • Brunswick Corporation d/b/a Life Fitness
  • Hammacher Schlemmer & Company, Inc.
  • eAccess Solutions, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Symbology Innovations LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Ferraiuoli; Stamoulis & Weinblatt; and Andreou & Casson

Patents:          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).

The Tie Bar Operating Co., LLC d/b/a The Tie Bar v. Landmark Technology, LLC (S.D.N.Y.).

Claim:             Declaratory Judgment

Defendant:     Landmark Technology, LLC

Plaintiff:        The Tie Bar Operating Co., LLC d/b/a The Tie Bar

Pls. Cnsl:        Kirkland & Ellis

Patent:            6,289,319 (Automatic business and financial transaction processing system).

Baxter Auto Parts, Inc. v. Landmark Technology, LLC (D. Or.).

Judge:             Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman

Claim:             Declaratory Judgment

Defendant:     Landmark Technology, LLC

Plaintiff:        Baxter Auto Parts, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Klarquist Sparkman

Patent:            6,289,319 (Automatic business and financial transaction processing system).

Internet Media Interactive Corp. v. First Data Corporation (D. Del.) (multiple cases).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • First Data Corporation
  • Hub Group, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Internet Media Interactive Corp.

Pls. Cnsl:        Haller Law; and O’Kelly Ernst & Joyce

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).

Secure Cam, LLC v. Project Nursery, LLC (N.D. Cal.).

Judge:             Magistrate Judge Howard R. Lloyd

Claim:             Infringement

Defendant:     Project Nursery, LLC

Plaintiff:        Secure Cam, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Brandt Law Firm; and Ranallo Law Office

Patent:            7,257,158 (System for transmitting video images over a computer network to a remote receiver).

Linksmart Wireless Technology, LLC v. Aerovias de Mexico, SA de CV (C.D. Cal.; E.D.N.Y.) (multiple cases).

Judges:           Magistrate Judge John E. McDermott; District Judge George H. Wu; Magistrate Judge John D. Early; District Judge Andrew J. Guilford; Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom; District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • Aerovias de Mexico, SA de CV
  • Grupo Aeromexico SAB de CV
  • Air Canada
  • Air France-KLM SA
  • Alaska Air Group, Inc.
  • United Airlines, Inc.
  • United Continental Holdings, Inc.
  • American Airlines Group, Inc.
  • British Airways, PLC
  • Emirates
  • The Emirates Group
  • Delta Air Lines, Inc.
  • WestJet Airlines Ltd.
  • WestJet Operations Corp.
  • Southwest Airlines Co.
  • Panasonic Avionics Corporation
  • Sonifi Solutions, Inc.
  • Gogo Inc.
  • Gogo LLC
  • Deep Blue Communications, LLC
  • DCI-Design Communications LLC

Plaintiff:        Linksmart Wireless Technology, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Russ August & Kabat; and Amster Rothstein & Ebenstein

Patent:            RE 46,459 (User specific automatic data redirection system).

Hawk Technology Systems LLC v. Larson’s Piggly Wiggly d/b/a as Cash Saver (N.D. Miss.; E.D. Tex.; N.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).

Judges:           District Judge Michael P. Mills; Magistrate Judge Roy Percy; District Judge Sam A. Lindsay

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Larson’s Piggly Wiggly d/b/a as Cash Saver
  • La Familia Agency LLC d/b/a La Familia Auto Insurance
  • City of Coppell, Texas

Plaintiff:        Hawk Technology Systems LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Henderson Dantone; Corcoran IP Law

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

Grecia v. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (S.D.N.Y.).

Claim:             Infringement

Defendant:     JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Plaintiff:        William Grecia

Pls. Cnsl:        Wawrzyn & Jarvis

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

Landmark Technology, LLC v. Arhaus, LLC (N.D. Ohio; S.D. Ohio) (multiple cases).

Judges:           District Judge John R. Adams; District Judge Susan J. Dlott

Claim:             Infringement

Defendants:

  • Arhaus, LLC
  • General Factory Supplies Company, Inc.

Plaintiff:        Landmark Technology, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Banie & Ishimoto; and Sand & Sebolt

Patent:            6,289,319 (Automatic business and financial transaction processing system).

CXT Systems, Inc. v. Academy, Ltd. d/b/a Academy Sports + Outdoors (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).

Claim:            Infringement

Defendants:

  • Academy, Ltd. d/b/a Academy Sports + Outdoors
  • The Container Store Group, Inc.
  • Pier 1 Imports, Inc.

Plaintiff:        CXT Systems, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Brown Rudnick; and Truelove Law Firm

Patents:          6,412,012 (System, method, and article of manufacture for making a compatibility-aware recommendations to a user); 6,493,703 (System and method for implementing intelligent online community message board); 6,571,234 (System and method for managing online message board); 7,016,875 (Single sign-on for access to a central data repository); 7,257,581 (Storage, management and distribution of consumer information); 8,260,806 (Storage, management and distribution of consumer information); and RE 45,661 (Online content tabulating system and method).