With Coronavirus delaying prosecution, preventing courts from empaneling juries, and keeping attorneys home with the kids, you would think patent filings would have dropped; instead, we saw a slight uptick this week. We saw Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos patents reemerge, witnessed the start of a battle between in-flight WiFi companies, and even watched sheets of sapphire sold to the government stay hot.
As if diagnostics companies weren’t beleaguered enough: Fortress Investment Group LLC (as funded by Softbank) purchased old Theranos patents listing Elizabeth Holmes as an inventor, and has asserted them against a Utah diagnostics company, BioFire Diagnostics, LLC using an NPE subsidiary called Labrador Diagnostics LLC. They purchased these and other patents for a song as Theranos went into bankruptcy. Shortly after they filed suit, reporters found a COVID-19 connection, in that BioFire had announced it was making tests for the government, in part, it seemed, based on the accused technology. Forced into a PR nightmare, Fortress issued a press release granting free licenses to anyone for COVID-19 testing, but the case continues. Another perspective on this here.
Call it the battle for the airwaves of the skies—Gogo Business Aviation LLC, which provides in-flight WiFi services to grateful commercial fliers, filed an IPR against Smartsky Networks, LLC, challenging a single patent; no litigation or other dispute is immediately apparent, suggesting perhaps a freedom to operate action in a crowded field—or at least, unfriendly skies.
Acantha LLC, an NPE that has successfully sued medical device companies on a series of bone screw patents, is at it again. The previous round of litigations, against DePuy Synthese Sales, Inc., provoked three IPRs by DePuy in 2016; those IPRs were denied institution, Acantha LLC went on to trial, and late last year won an $8.2 million judgment, later modified by half to $4.3 million by the Wisconsin Eastern District judge. Around the time of the initial judgment, Acantha brought suit against NuVasive, Inc. in the Eastern District of Michigan and against Stryker Corporation in the Northern District of California. Now NuVasive has brought two IPRs on the ’008 patent on the eve of the one-year bar there. NuVasive fled the now-required separate paper explaining why the Board should not use their discretion to deny the second petition on the same patent—i.e., both challenge different claims, with no overlap.
In Obscure Patent Law Issues 101, in May of 2018, II-VI Incorporated, an optical products company, filed an IPR against Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc. on U.S. Patent No. RE43,469 (IPR2018-01022). Then in August, Saint-Gobain fired back, filing a complaint asserting RE43,469, U.S. Patent No. 9,926,645, and 9,963,800, against for, inter alia, products related to single crystal sapphire sheets, which are useful in semiconductors, imaging, windows in high-pressure or vacuum situations like air- or spacecraft, and other various industrial uses. (Saint-Gobain is the sole supplier of large crystal sapphire sheets to Lockheed Martin; defendants, subcontractors in the supply chain who had recently begun competing.). The IPR was instituted on November 15, 2018; then on March 26, 2019 in chambers, the Court granted Defendants’ converted motion for summary judgment in which they argued that the U.S. government was their sole customer (i.e., Lockheed as contractor, then on to the government), and so the case should be dismissed under 28 U.S.C. § 1498; it was wonky, but it worked, in that the immediate action was dismissed, though an action in the Court of Federal Claims would still lie. Then this past August, IV-VI Incorporated filed IPRs against the remaining two once-asserted patents, 9,963,800 and 9,926,645, up against the one-year time bar of the now-dismissed suit. Those IPRs were instituted on all challenged claims this week.
PTAB Cases
Case Number | Action | Owner | Petitioner | Patent |
IPR2020-00692 | Filed | Innovative Global Systems, LLC | Keep Truckin, Inc. | 8032277 |
IPR2020-00701 | Filed | Uniloc 2017 LLC [Fortress IP] | Samsung Electronics America, Inc. | 6836654 |
Apple Inc. | ||||
Motorola Mobility LLC | ||||
IPR2020-00706 | Filed | Acantha LLC | NuVasive, Inc. | RE43008 |
IPR2020-00653 | Filed | Neodron Ltd. [Magentar Capital] | HP Inc. | 8432173 |
Lenovo (United States) Inc. | ||||
Motorola Mobility LLC | ||||
Dell Inc. | ||||
Dell Products LP | ||||
IPR2020-00684 | Filed | Acantha LLC | NuVasive, Inc. | RE43008 |
IPR2020-00694 | Filed | Innovative Global Systems, LLC | Keep Truckin, Inc. | 10157384 |
IPR2020-00691 | Filed | Cameron International Corporation | Nitro Fluids, LLC | 10094195 |
IPR2020-00708 | Filed | Tessera Advanced Technologies, Inc. [Xperi Corp.] | NVIDIA Corporation | 6317333 |
IPR2020-00695 | Filed | The Regents of the University of California | Satco Products, Inc. | 9240529 |
IPR2020-00702 | Filed | Ideahub Inc. | Unified Patents, LLC | 9641849 |
IPR2020-00704 | Filed | Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd. | Satco Products, Inc. | 8860331 |
IPR2020-00690 | Filed | Enco Systems, Inc. | DaVincia, LLC | 7047191 |
IPR2020-00688 | Filed | Neodron Ltd. | Lenovo (United States) Inc. | 7821502 |
Dell Technologies Inc. | ||||
IPR2020-00697 | Filed | Bell Northern Research, LLC | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 7039435 |
IPR2020-00698 | Filed | Bell Northern Research, LLC | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 7039435 |
IPR2020-00709 | Filed | Smartsky Networks, LLC | Gogo Business Avaiation LLC | 9312947 |
IPR2020-00647 | Filed | Divx, LLC [Fortress] | Hulu, LLC | 9270720 |
Netflix, Inc. | ||||
IPR2020-00471 | Filed | Firenet Techs., LLC [IP Investments Grp.] | Unified Patents, LLC | 8892600 |
IPR2020-00648 | Filed | Divx, LLC [Fortress] | Netflix, Inc. | 9998515 |
Hulu, LLC | ||||
IPR2020-00699 | Filed | 3M Innovative Properties Company | YKK Corporation | 10165833 |
IPR2020-00689 | Filed | Softbelly’s, Inc | TY Inc. | 6195831 |
IPR2019-01534 | Instituted | Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc. | II-VI Incorporated | 9926645 |
IPR2019-01535 | Instituted | Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc. | II-VI Incorporated | 9963800 |
District Court
Case Number | Action | Plaintiff | Defendant | Patent |
3:20-cv-02542 | Filed | JAMES J MACOR GOLDFINCH DESIGN STUDIO, LLC |
HID Global Corp. COLLECTOR`S UNIVERSE, INC. dba PROFESSIONAL COINN GRADING SERVICES |
8376133 |
1:20-cv-00347 | Filed | Gilead Sciences Astellas Pharma |
Gland Pharma, Ltd. | 8106183 RE47301 8524883 |
2:20-cv-02608 | Filed | Celgene | Mylan | 10555939 |
2:20-cv-02614 | Filed | Celgene | Teva Pharmaceutical | 10555939 |
2:20-cv-02299 | Filed | JBF Interlude 2009 Ltd – Israel | Quibi Holdings, LLC | 10460765 |
3:20-cv-01758 | Filed | Internet Archive | Wordlogic Corp. 602531 British Columbia, Ltd. |
8552984 7681124 7716579 7293231 |
1:20-cv-00349 | Filed | Quark Distribution, Inc. | Advanced Converting Works, Inc. Advanced Converting Works LLC Advanced Converting Works Holdings, LLC ePac, Holdings, LLC |
10011403 10011404 |
6:20-cv-00180 | Filed | American Inventor Tech, LLC [Oso IP, LLC] | Samsung Group | 10397639 10547895 10473282 |
3:20-cv-02738 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
Aurobindo Pharma, Ltd. | 10512640 10342875 10478601 |
3:20-cv-00628 | Filed | Eventi LLC [Wagoo LLC] | The Network Bar Beverage Company LLC The Network Bar Hospitality LLC TNB Growth Corporation The Network Bar LLC TNWB LLC |
9264874 8880101 |
1:20-cv-00358 | Filed | ViaTech Technologies, Inc. | Adobe, Inc. | 6920567 6920567 |
1:20-cv-00361 | Filed | Speyside Medical, LLC | Medtronic, Inc. Medtronic |
8377118 9445897 9510941 9603708 10449040 |
3:20-cv-02786 | Filed | ORGANON USA INC Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. |
Lupin Limited | |
2:20-cv-01356 | Filed | Noco Co. | Nekteck, Inc. | |
2:20-cv-02250 | Filed | Quibi Holdings, LLC | Interlude US, Inc. dba Eko | 10460765 |
2:20-cv-02609 | Filed | SUNDESA, LLC DBA BLENDERBOTTLE CO. | TEJARAH INTERNATIONAL INC. DBA KITCHSMART | 6379032 D510235 |
2:20-cv-02612 | Filed | Celgene | Teva Pharmaceutical | |
3:20-cv-02576 | Filed | ORGANON USA INC Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. |
Aurobindo Pharma, Ltd. | RE44733 |
8:20-cv-00490 | Filed | Sharp Corporation | Xianyang Caihong Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. Vizio, Inc. Trend Smart America Trend Smart CE Mexico S.R.L. DE D.V. TPV International (USA), Inc. et al. |
6937300 6977704 7450206 8044907 8446556 8471994 8531634 8558959 8797490 8804079 9081239 9201275 |
1:20-cv-01729 | Filed | Jedi Technologies, Inc. | Cupid Media Pty, Ltd. | 7401098 10164918 |
1:20-cv-00348 | Filed | Labrador Diagnostics LLC [Fortress IP] | bioMerieux S.A. BioFire Diagnostics, LLC |
8283155 10533994 |
6:20-cv-00314 | Filed | C & M Oilfield Rentals, LLC dba C-Mor Energy Services | Location Illuminator Technologies L L C | 10473282 |
3:20-cv-00611 | Filed | Neal Technologies, Inc. dba Bullet Proof Diesel | Robert Bresnahan Larson Electronics, LLC |
10347975 |
1:20-cv-00274 | Filed | ImmunoGen, Inc. | Andrei Iancu | |
3:20-cv-02735 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
ALEOR DERMACEUTICALS LTD. | 10512640 10342875 10478601 |
3:20-cv-02747 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
Taro Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Taro Pharmaceuticals Taro Pharmaceutical Industries |
10512640 10342875 10478601 |
5:20-cv-00532 | Filed | B & T Industries, LLC B-5, Inc. |
Luis Felipe Salazar Accu-Tac, LLC |
8904693 8402684 |
8:20-cv-00529 | Filed | Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited Broadcom Corporation |
Netflix | 6744387 6341375 7266079 8259121 8959245 8270992 8572138 9332283 6982663 |
1:20-cv-02095 | Filed | Ameziel, Inc. | Wiesner Products, Inc. | RE45533 |
0:20-cv-00700 | Filed | Corning, Inc. | John R. Wilson Wilson Wolf Manufacturing Corp. |
9441192 8697443 9732317 |
2:20-cv-00371 | Filed | Be Labs, Inc. | Watchguard Technologies, Inc. | 7827581 9344183 |
2:20-cv-02593 | Filed | Celgene | Apotex, Inc. | 10555939 |
2:20-cv-02597 | Filed | Celgene | Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc. Natco Pharma Ltd. |
10555939 |
2:20-cv-02606 | Filed | Celgene | EUGIA PHARMA SPECIALTIES, LTD. Aurolife Pharma, LLC Aurobindo Pharma, Ltd. |
10555939 |
1:20-cv-00351 | Filed | International Business Machines, Corp. | Airbnb, Inc. | 7631346 6778193 6966038 7072849 |
3:20-cv-00596 | Filed | Ironworks Patents, LLC | ZTE | 6427078 |
3:20-cv-02742 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
KVK-TECH, Inc. | 10512640 10342875 10478601 |
3:20-cv-02750 | Filed | ORGANON USA INC Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. |
Gland Pharma, Ltd. | RE44733 |
1:20-cv-00362 | Filed | Braintree Laboratories, Inc. | Alkem Laboratories Limited Ascend Laboratories LLC |
6946149 |
6:20-cv-00186 | Filed | WSOU Investments, LLC d/b/a Brazos Licensing and Development | Huawei Device Co. Ltd. f/k/a Huawei Device (Dongguan) Co. Huawei Device (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. f/k/a Huawei Device Co., Ltd. Huawei Technologies, Co., Ltd. |
|
1:20-cv-00046 | Filed | KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS INC BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND LIMITED |
Mylan | |
4:20-cv-00194 | Filed | Akoloutheo, LLC | NTT Data, Inc. | 7426730 |
2:20-cv-02601 | Filed | Celgene | Hetero Labs, Ltd. Hetero USA, Inc. Hetero Drugs |
10555939 |
3:20-cv-01756 | Filed | Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. | Wordlogic Corp. 602531 British Columbia, Ltd. |
8552984 7681124 7716579 7293231 |
1:20-cv-00352 | Filed | USF Research Foundation | Hologic, Inc. | 6630937 |
3:20-cv-02744 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
Lupin, Ltd. Lupin Limited |
10512640 10342875 10478601 |
3:20-cv-02748 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
Cadila Healthcare Cadila Healthcare, LTD. DBA Zydus Cadila |
10512640 10342875 10478601 |
3:20-cv-02787 | Filed | ORGANON USA INC Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. |
Lifestar Pharma, LLC MANKIND PHARMA LIMITED |
|
1:20-cv-02285 | Filed | Max A. Rady | Boston Consulting Group, LLP De Beers Group |
|
0:20-cv-00730 | Filed | Good Mind Solutions Ltd. | SipDark, LLC | |
2:20-cv-01358 | Filed | Noco Co. | Medcursor, Inc. | |
6:20-cv-00178 | Filed | Godo Kaisha IP Bridge I | Micron Technology, Inc. | 7189616 6747320 6445047 6424041 |
2:20-cv-02607 | Filed | Celgene | Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories | 10555939 |
1:20-cv-00350 | Filed | Home Semiconductor Corporation ProMOS Technologies, Inc. |
Samsung Group | 6146997 |
3:20-cv-02737 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
Alkem Laboratories Limited | 10512640 10342875 10478601 |
3:20-cv-02746 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
STRIDES PHARMA GLOBAL PTE Ltd. Strides Arcolab |
10512640 10342875 10478601 |
3:20-cv-02749 | Filed | BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS NORTH AMERICA, LLC KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO, LTD BAUSCH HEALTH IRELAND, LTD. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS IRELAND, LTD. BAUSCH HEALTH AMERICAS, INC. fka VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL |
Mylan | 10512640 10342875 10478601 |
3:20-cv-02751 | Filed | ORGANON USA INC Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. |
Teva Pharmaceutical | RE44733 |
1:20-cv-02231 | Filed | Targus International LLC | John Doe Tucano USA, Inc. |
8746449 8783458 9170611 10139861 |
1:20-cv-01351 | Filed | Audiometric Analytics Technologies, LLC [Leigh Rothschild] | Beyer Dynamic, Inc. | |
4:20-cv-00936 | Filed | Inventergy LBS, LLC | Monarch Tracking LLC | |
6:20-cv-00187 | Filed | WSOU Investments, LLC d/b/a Brazos Licensing and Development | Huawei Device Co. Ltd. f/k/a Huawei Device (Dongguan) Co. Huawei Device (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. f/k/a Huawei Device Co., Ltd. Huawei Technologies, Co., Ltd. |
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6:20-cv-00188 | Filed | WSOU Investments, LLC d/b/a Brazos Licensing and Development | Huawei Device Co. Ltd. f/k/a Huawei Device (Dongguan) Co. Huawei Device (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. f/k/a Huawei Device Co., Ltd. Huawei Technologies, Co., Ltd. |
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