As it often does, August saw a slight increase in filings, presumably as NPEs prime their deal flow for the fall. Frequent filers included Coding Technologies, Express Mobile, Guyzar, Hawk Technology, Landmark Technology, Personalweb Technologies, Symbology, and Uniloc.
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.
Personalweb Technologies, LLC et al. v. Dollar Shave Club, et al. (C.D. Cal; N.D. Cal; E.D. Del.; E.D.N.Y.; S.D.N.Y.) (multiple cases).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Dollar Shave Club
- Kongregate, Inc.
- Shopify, Inc.
- Shopify (USA), Inc.
- Braze, Inc.
- Strava, Inc.
- Peek Travel, Inc.
- com, LLC
- com, Inc.
- Le Tote, Inc.
- Mavenlink, Inc.
- NRT LLC
- NRT New York LLC d/b/a Citi Habitats
- ShareFile LLC
- StartDate Labs, Inc.
- tastytrade, Inc.
- Treehouse Island, Inc.
- Brooklyn Brewery Corporation
- WeWork Companies Inc.
- Valassis Communications, Inc.
Plaintiffs:
- Level 3 Communication, LLC
- PersonalWeb Technologies, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Level 3 Communications, LLC; Farnan; Stubbs Alderton & Markiles; Maceiko IP; PersonalWeb Technologies, LLC; Kent Beatty & Gordon
Patents: 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)
Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Amazon.com, Inc. et al. (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge Ron Clark; District Judge Rodney Gilstrap
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- com, Inc.
- Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Amazon Digital Services, LLC
- Amazon Fulfillment Services, Inc.
- Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Plaintiffs:
- Uniloc 2017, LLC
- Uniloc Licensing USA LLC
- Uniloc USA, Inc.
Pls. Cnsl: Etheridge Law Group
Patents: 6,253,201(Scalable solution for image retrieval); 6,944,221(Buffer management in variable bit-rate compression systems); 6,993,182 (Method and apparatus for detecting scene changes in video using a histogram of frame differences)
Hawk Technology Systems, LLC v. Canton Public School District (S.D. Miss; E.D. Ky.).
Judges: Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball; District Judge Carlton W. Reeves; District Judge Gregory F. VanTatenhove
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Canton Public School District
- Duke Energy Kentucky Inc.
Plaintiff: Hawk Technology Systems, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Henderson Dantone
Patent: RE43,462 (Video monitoring and conferencing system)
Express Mobile, Inc. v. Blackstone Technology Group Inc., et al. (N.D. Cal.; E.D. Del.). (multiple cases).
Judges: Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero; Magistrate Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte; Magistrate Judge Maria-Elena James; Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley; Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Blackstone Technology Group Inc.
- Huge, LLC
- Code and Theory LLC
- Globant, LLC
- Globant, SA
- Pantheon Systems Inc.
- Svitla Systems Inc.
- SoftVision Inc.
- Happiest Minds Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
- Alloy Marketing and Promotions, LLC
- Big Spaceship LLC
- Blue State Digital Inc.
- Born Group, Inc.
- DreamHost, LLC
- Hill Holliday LLC
- Hostway Services, Inc.
- iCrossing, Inc.
- Liquid Web, LLC
- Martin Retail Group, LLC
- Mondo International, LLC
- McCann Relationship Marketing, LLC d/b/a MRM McCann
- Namecheap, Inc.
- Publicis Hawkeye, Inc.
- Rackspace Hosting, Inc.
- Gaddis Partners, Ltd. d/b/a T3
- The Stephenz Group Inc.
Plaintiff: Express Mobile, Inc.
Pls. Cnsl: Devlin Law Firm; and Law Offices of Seth W. Wiener
Patents: 6,546,397 (Browser based web site generation tool and run time engine; and 7,594,168 (Browser based web site generation tool and run time engine).
Landmark Technology, LLC v. Eloquii Design, Inc. (S.D. Ohio; D. Haw; D. Or.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge Edmund A. Sargus; Magistrate Judge Chelsey M. Vascura; Magistrate Judge Kevin S.C. Chang; Magistrate Judge Alan C. Kay
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Eloquii Design, Inc.
- Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Co., Ltd.
- Azure Farms, Inc.
Plaintiff: Landmark Technology, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Banie & Ishimoto; Sand & Sebolt; Thomas Bush Law Office; Harris Bricken
Patent: 6,289,319 (Automatic business and financial transaction processing system)
Fall Line Patents, LLC v. Pizza Hut, Inc. (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Judge: District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Pizza Hut, Inc.
- Pizza Hut of America, LLC
- Zoe’s Kitchen, Inc.
- Zoe’S Kitchen Usa, LLC
- AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
- American Multi-Cinema, Inc.
- Boston Market Corporation
- Regal Cinemas, Inc.
- Starbucks Corporation
- McDonald’s Corporation
- McDonald’s USA, LLC
- Panda Express, Inc.
- Panda Restaurant Group, Inc.
- Papa John’s International, Inc.
- Star Papa, LP
Plaintiff: Fall Line Patents, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Antonelli Harrington & Thompson
Patent: 9,454,748 (System and method for data management)
Guyzar LLC v. Airbnb, Inc., et al. (E.D. Del.; N.D. Ill.) (multiple cases).
Judge: District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Airbnb, Inc.
- StubHub, Inc.
- TracFone Wireless, Inc.
- Nike, Inc.
Plaintiff: Guyzar LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Rabicoff Law; and Stamoulis & Weinblatt
Patent: 5,845,070 (Security system for internet provider transaction)
Internet Media Interactive Corp. v. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. (W.D.N.Y.; M.D. Fla.).
Judges: District Judge Paul G. Byron; Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Kelly
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
- Universal City Development Partners, Ltd. d/b/a Universal Orlando Resort
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)
Symbology Innovations LLC v. Muji USA Limited, et al. (E.D. Del.; W.D. Wis.) (multiple cases).
Judges: District Judge William M. Conley; Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Muji USA Limited
- Honeywell International Inc.
- MBS Direct, LLC
- Johnson Health Tech North America, Inc. d/b/a Matrix
Plaintiff: Symbology Innovations LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Ferraiuoli; and Stamoulis & Weinblatt
Patents: 8,424,752 (System and method for presenting information about an object on a portable electronic device); 8651,369 (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)
Modern Font Applications LLC v. Allegiant Travel (D. Utah; E.D. of Tex.) (multiple cases).
Judge: Magistrate Judge Paul M. Warner
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Allegiant Travel Company
- BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.
- Nebraska Furniture Mart, Inc.
Plaintiff: Modern Font Applications LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Kunzler PC
Patent: 9,886,421 (Allowing operating system access to non-standard fonts in a network document)
Vindolor, LLC v. Restoration Hardware, Inc., et al. (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- Restoration Hardware, Inc.
- NTW, LLC d/b/a National Tire and Battery
- Disney Store USA, LLC
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)
Aeritas, LLC v. Walmart Inc. (E.D. Tex.).
Claim: Infringement
Defendant: Walmart Inc.
Plaintiff: Aeritas, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: DelGiorno IP Law
Patents: 7,706,819 (Mixed-mode interaction); 8055285 (Mixed-mode interaction); 9,390,435 (Mixed-mode interaction); and 9888107 (Mixed-mode interaction)
Coding Technologies, LLC v. The Home Depot USA, Inc., et al. (E.D. Tex.) (multiple cases).
Judge: District Judge Rodney Gilstrap
Claim: Infringement
Defendants:
- The Home Depot USA, Inc.
- Genesco, Inc.
Plaintiff: Coding Technologies, LLC
Pls. Cnsl: Kizzia Johnson
Patent: 8,540,159 (Method for providing mobile service using code-pattern)