Patent Filings Roundup: Western District Waters Tested; IP Edge Runs from Disclosure in Delaware

https://depositphotos.com/3834376/stock-photo-lawsuit.htmlTwenty-three inter partes reviews (IPRs) and no post grant reviews were filed this week; plaintiffs filed an average-ish 79 new district court patent filings, though many were associated with older campaigns. The Daedalus Prime subsidiary asserting Intel patents has filed suits against Samsung and TSMC; Volkswagen filed a number of IPRs against Fortress-backed Neo Wireless. There were, again, no discretionary denials at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), though certainly merits-based denials continue apace; many challenges against Magnetar entity Scramoge have been instituted; and Red Hat filed a declaratory judgment action for non-infringement against litigation-funded Valtrus [Centerbridge Capital, run by Key Patent Innovations] on patents not yet asserted in district court, just as Google began challenging a different set of patents asserted against just them. TikTok also filed IPRs against asserted patents owned by the funded Advanced Coding Technologies—which appears to be related to Leigh Rothschild’s Patent Asset Management, per corporate records; and Raymond Anthony Joao, in keeping with tradition, has sued yet another oddly sympathetic plaintiff via one of his subsidiaries, Alvao Digital LLC—FC Dallas Soccer LLC—on two patents, and separately against local Dallas primary care physicians (Nextcare Primary Care Texas PLLC) in Greatgigz Solutions LLC.

Other Western District Waters Tested, Tentatively: NPE ALD Social LLC [IPValuation Partners], one of two IPValuation Partners entities monetizing a handful of patents acquired from Comtech Telecommunications, has filed six cases in the Western District (WD), skipping Waco and heading to Judge Fred Biery’s court in San Antonio for all six. Biery has had just a handful of cases in the past decade—few past five years, until recently; but the San Antonio court and docket he helps oversee is massive. This now puts him in the top five for Western District judges for patent cases (with Bassfield IP and some other ancillary orders in a handful of other cases), with Judge Albright (obviously) leading the charge and Judge Yeakel of Austin a distant second; Judges Gillman and Pittman being the others. Most other WD Judges have either never or so seldom had a patent case as to render us all unable to make even educated guesses as to how they will handle them. The ALD stands for Aggregate Location Dynometer and the accused products are all various emergency notification services offered by defendants AT&T, Alert Media, Alphabet, Apple, Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile), and Verkada.

The other subsidiary monetizing Comtech patents is Artax, LLC; it’s unclear whether they’re related or have financial or managerial support in common. Artax, for their part, sued GPS company TomTom at the end of last month.

What is clear, though, from recent filings, is that beyond a few outliers, few are willing to experiment in the short-term with an uncertain assignment scheme. It seems abundantly clear (if it wasn’t already) that a whole class of entities effectively banked on being able to select Judge Albright over any other member of the federal judiciary.

IP Edge Entities Run into (and then from) Delaware Disclosure: Clear the country, NPEs who have long preferred Delaware—I’m speaking primarily of the 500-600 cases filed annually by subsidiaries associated with IP Edge—have had to contend with Chief Judge Connolly’s new standing/finance disclosure order, and they haven’t fared well to date. IP Edge’s common practice—to recruit an LLC “owner”, generally a Texas individual of questionable relation to the patents or monetization effort, often a paralegal or, occasionally, a family member of lawyers involved in enforcement—has raised questions from defendants and Judge Connolly himself.

IP Edge entities often run like clockwork through certain preferred firms and run on shoestring budgets—and historically, despite filing literally thousands of complaints in its ten years of life (and representing, most years, upwards of 15% of all patent filings), IP Edge cases statistically never go to trial, and more than 90% of them settle within six months prior to Markman, with the vast majority settling even before an answer is due from the defendants.

IP Edge itself is run by three principals with ties to former Eric Spangenberg-run IPNav—the self-declared “King of the Patent Trolls”—and works, according to their public profiles and website, to help secure financing and representation and manage a vast array of LLC subsidiaries asserting patents. Recently, whether by design or necessity, the principals themselves—normally involved only in licensing discussions and not in any of the official documentation—have been appearing as counsel in IPRs and occasionally in district court. They appear to favor Delaware as, having no apparent intent to go to trial, a longer time-to-trial benefits their file-and-settle model by creating a longer window in which to engage in largely expense-free settlement negotiations.

In Delaware, they have maintained since Chief Judge Connolly’s order that there are no third-party investors or interested parties, with the disclosed owners generally being any of these unrelated individuals mentioned earlier and listed on the LLC formation documents. On September 12, Chief Judge Connolly ordered the principals to appear in person at evidentiary hearings to answer to those disclosures (a similar order issued in cases related to Dynamic IP Deals (DynaIP) cases. After that order, the IP Edge entities quickly filed voluntary dismissals, thus evading the hearing and any immediate reckoning with their disclosures.

Unrelatedly, The Life is Good apparel company filed a declaratory judgment against Hitel, another IP Edge subsidiary, in Massachusetts this week (with some accompanying press), accusing the entity of “ bad-faith threats to assert frivolous patent infringement claims” against their website under Massachusetts’ local unfair and deceptive practices laws. In that complaint, the company notes that “Hitel’s sole managing member is Annette Rathgeber, who also works for a company called IP Edge LLC (“IP Edge”). IP Edge purports to be Hitel’s licensing advisor.”  It details an assertion letter and repeated communications threatening litigation, and notes that Hitel alone has brought more than 30 suits against similarly situated retail companies.

PTAB (23)
Case Number Action Owner Petitioner Patent
IPR2022-01535 Filed Centripetal Networks, Inc. Keysight Technologies, Inc 10609062
IPR2022-01525 Filed Centripetal Networks, Inc. Keysight Technologies, Inc 10284526
IPR2022-01537 Filed Neo Wireless LLC LLC [Fortress IP, Softbank]A Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. 10075941
IPR2022-01498 Filed Sunflower Licensing LLC [IP Edge] Unified Patents, LLC 7398005
IPR2022-01538 Filed Neo Wireless LLC [Fortress IP, Softbank] Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. 10771302
IPR2022-01548 Filed Advanced Coding Technologies LLC [funded, Patent Asset Management, Leigh Rothschild] TikTok Inc. 9445041
IPR2022-01532 Filed WSOU Investments, LLC
d/b/a Brazos Licensing and Development [Juniper, Coast, Craig Etchegoyen]
Canon, Inc.
Canon USA, Inc.
7493030
IPR2022-01543 Filed Scramoge Technology Ltd. [Fortress IP, Softbank] Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. 10243400
IPR2022-01549 Filed Constellation Designs LLC LG Electronics, Inc. 10567980
IPR2022-01550 Filed Wave Neuroscience, Inc. Peaklogic, Inc. 8475354
IPR2022-01539 Filed Neo Wireless LLC [Fortress IP, Softbank] Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. 10965512
IPR2022-01536 Filed TOT Power Control, S.L. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
7532865
IPR2022-01540 Filed Sight Sciences, Inc. Ivantis, Inc.
Alcon Research, LLC
Alcon Vision, LLC
Alcon, Inc.
9486361
IPR2022-01546 Filed Advanced Coding Technologies LLC [funded, Patent Asset Management, Leigh Rothschild] TikTok Inc. 8615154
IPR2022-01533 Filed Sight Sciences, Inc. Ivantis, Inc.
Alcon Research, LLC
Alcon Vision, LLC
Alcon, Inc.
8287482
IPR2022-01545 Filed Valtrus Innovations Limited [Centerbridge Capital, Key Patent Innovations] Google LLC 6728704
IPR2022-01511 Filed Integrated Advertising Labs, LLC Revcontent, LLC 10147121
IPR2022-01529 Filed Sight Sciences, Inc. Ivantis, Inc.
Alcon Research, LLC
Alcon Vision, LLC
Alcon, Inc.
9370443
IPR2022-01547 Filed Advanced Coding Technologies LLC [funded, Patent Asset Management, Leigh Rothschild] TikTok Inc. 9313244
IPR2022-01462 Filed Sulzer Mixpac AG Xinial Systems Gmbh & Co. KG 9010578
IPR2022-01523 Filed PPC Broadband Inc Perfectvision Manufacturing, Inc. 7118416
IPR2022-01542 Filed Parus Holdings, Inc Apple, Inc 7516190
IPR2022-01530 Filed Sight Sciences, Inc. Ivantis, Inc.
Alcon Research, LLC
Alcon Vision, LLC
Alcon, Inc.
10314742
IPR2022-00676 Not Instituted – Merits PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. Axalta Coating Systems, LLC 7981505
IPR2022-00675 Not Instituted – Merits PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. Axalta Coating Systems, LLC 7981505
PGR2022-00025 Not Instituted – Merits Spruce Biosciences, Inc. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. 11007201
IPR2022-00343 Instituted Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB Apple, Inc 9300432
IPR2022-00650 Instituted Amatech Group Limited
Feinics Amatech Teoranta
Infineon Technologies AG 9633304
IPR2022-00915 Instituted Bright Data Ltd. Major Data UAB 10257319
IPR2022-00916 Instituted Bright Data Ltd. Major Data UAB 10484510
IPR2022-00691 Instituted Oil-Dri Corporation of America Belparts Group NV
Pioneer Pet Products, LLC
9439393
IPR2022-00529 Instituted Scramoge Technology Ltd. [Magnetar Capital, Atlantic IP] Apple, Inc 10193392
IPR2022-00722 Instituted Bausch Health Ireland Limited Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 7041786
IPR2022-00630 Instituted Jawbone Innovations LLC [Fortress IP, Softbank, various undisclosed investors] Google LLC
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
8280072
IPR2022-00532 Instituted Scramoge Technology Ltd. [Magnetar Capital, Atlantic IP] Apple, Inc 9490652
IPR2022-00573 Instituted Scramoge Technology Ltd. [Magnetar Capital, Atlantic IP] Apple, Inc 7825537
IPR2022-00673 Instituted Ocado Innovation Limited Autostore System Inc. 10961051
IPR2022-00638 Instituted Diatek Licensing, LLC [IP Edge] Unified Patents, LLC 7079752
IPR2022-00620 Instituted C.R. Laurence Co., Inc. Frameless Hardware Company 9074413
IPR2022-00688 Instituted Future Link Systems, LLC [Vector Capital Corp.] Realtek Semiconductor Corporation 7917680
IPR2022-00341 Instituted Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB Apple, Inc 10506528
IPR2021-00552 Final Written Decision Health Discovery Corporation Intel Corporation 7542959
IPR2021-00612 Final Written Decision Koss Corporation Bose Corporation 10206025
IPR2021-00580 Final Written Decision Sisvel S.P.A. [3G Licensing SA] Cradlepoint, Inc.
Dell, Inc.
Honeywell International, Inc.
Sierra Wireless, Inc.
TCL Communication Technology Holdings, Ltd.
7869396
IPR2021-00639 Final Written Decision 3G Licensing S.A. [Sisvel] Cradlepoint, Inc.
Dell, Inc.
Honeywell International, Inc.
Sierra Wireless, Inc.
TCL Communication Technology Holdings, Ltd.
8189611
IPR2021-00688 Final Written Decision SPG Dry Cooling USA LLC Evapco Dry Cooling, Inc 10527354
IPR2021-00665 Final Written Decision Sentrilock, LLC Carrier Fire & Security Americas Corporation 8606589
IPR2021-00630 Final Written Decision Jenam Tech, LLC [Oso IP, LLC] Google LLC 10075565
IPR2021-00554 Final Written Decision Health Discovery Corporation Intel Corporation 8095483
IPR2021-00687 Final Written Decision SPG Dry Cooling USA LLC Evapco Dry Cooling, Inc 10551126
IPR2021-00664 Final Written Decision Sentrilock, LLC Carrier Fire & Security Americas Corporation 7949541
IPR2021-00627 Final Written Decision Jenam Tech, LLC [Oso IP, LLC] Google LLC 10375215
IPR2021-00383 Final Written Decision Cardiovalve Ltd. Edwards LifeSciences Corporation
Edwards LifeSciences LLC
10226341
IPR2021-00563 Final Written Decision Koninklijke Philips NV Quectel Wireless Solutions Co. Ltd 8195216
IPR2021-00584 Final Written Decision 3G Licensing S.A. [Sisvel] Cradlepoint, Inc.
Dell, Inc.
Honeywell International, Inc.
Siera Wireless, Inc.
TCL Communication Technology Holdings, Ltd.
7551625
IPR2021-00628 Final Written Decision Jenam Tech, LLC [Oso IP, LLC] Google LLC 10075564

 

 

District Court (153)
Case Number Action Plaintiff Defendant Patent
1:22-cv-11467 Filed The Life Is Good Company
Constructorio Corporation
Hitel Technologies LLC [IP Edge] 7689617
6:22-cv-00938 Filed Textile Computer Systems Inc Trustee Cadence Bank 8505079
10560454
10148659
8533802
6:22-cv-00946 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV seloff] Nexcom International Co Ltd 6972790
8537242
2:22-cv-00359 Filed Longhorn Hd LLC [Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners] Splunk Inc 7017186
7260846
2:22-cv-06552 Filed Push Data LLC [Equitable IP] Fleet Fleet Incorporated 7212811
6983139
7058395
5223844
2:22-cv-06572 Filed Push Data LLC [Equitable IP] The Johnny Rockets Group Inc 7212811
6983139
7058395
5223844
2:22-cv-06584 Filed Push Data LLC [Equitable IP] Tgi Fridays Inc 7212811
6983139
7058395
5223844
6:22-cv-00954 Filed Datamonitor Systems LLC International Business Machines Corporation 7594009
6:22-cv-00961 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Synectics PLC 6972790
6473527
8537242
2:22-cv-06657 Filed Kitsch LLC Lauren Peterson
Lolly LLC
11206908
1:22-mc-00397 Filed
6:22-cv-00962 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Tattile Srl 6972790
6473527
8537242
6:22-cv-00963 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Tkh Security Bv 6972790
6473527
8537242
6:22-cv-00967 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Urmet Spa 6972790
6473527
8537242
2:22-cv-05599 Filed Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc
Bayer
Mankind Pharma Limited 9539218
2:22-cv-00355 Filed Lexos Media Ip LLC [Lexos Media] Northern Tool Equipment Co 5995102
6118449
6:22-cv-00932 Filed Textile Computer Systems Inc Amarillo National Bank 8505079
10560454
8533802
10148659
6:22-cv-00933 Filed Textile Computer Systems Inc Jefferson Bank 8505079
10560454
8533802
10148659
6:22-cv-00935 Filed Ohva Inc [unknown] Electronic Merchant Systems LLC 9679286
6:22-cv-00941 Filed Textile Computer Systems Inc Zions Bancorporation Na 8505079
10560454
10148659
8533802
1:22-cv-07840 Filed Optinetix Israel Ltd Wegmans Food Market 7349668
6:22-cv-00948 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Provision-isr 6972790
6473527
8537242
2:22-cv-06580 Filed Push Data LLC [Equitable IP] Smashburger Ip Holder LLC 7212811
6983139
7058395
5223844
2:22-cv-00361 Filed S3g Technology LLC Nordstrom Inc 9081897
9940124
10261774
1:22-cv-05028 Filed Zip Top Inc Sc Johnson Son D407970
D464258
D374204
D605895
D541171
D140735
D553442
D689370
D522183
D1630549
D1454613
D582790
D622109
D580779
D586232
D684867
D456211
D285515
D399708
D690995
D502364
D418747
D495209
D686508
D470361
D554432
D291659
D482614
D445223
D660446
D616760
D683592
D600072
D627608
D1630736
D401141
D609581
D418368
D457318
D657950
D684868
D668118
D683190
D567592
D423877
D1625224
D470755
D618302
D672202
D419867
3:22-cv-02044 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc  [IV seloff] Uniview Technology 6972790
6473527
8537242
6:22-cv-00958 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV seloff] Shany Electronic Co Ltd 6972790
6473527
8537242
1:22-cv-01211 Filed Eisai Co Ltd
Eisai
Eisai Rd Management Co Ltd
Long Grove Pharmaceuticals LLC
2:22-cv-00365 Filed Edst LLC
Quext Iot LLC
Hsun Wealth Technology Co Ltd
Huarifu Technology Co Ltd
10803685
10825273
11189118
6:22-cv-00971 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc  [IV seloff] Vimar Spa 6972790
8537242
6:22-cv-00973 Filed Ald Social LLC [IPValuation Partners] T-mobile 9198054
9402158
6:22-cv-00975 Filed Ald Social LLC [IPValuation Partners] Verkada Inc 9198054
9402158
2:22-cv-00352 Filed Daedalus Prime LLC [Intel, Ed Gomez] Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Samsung Group
11251281
10705588
10049080
8898494
8775833
10700178
10319812
9831306
6:22-cv-00943 Filed Traxcell Technologies [Ramey LLC, Mark and Joyce Ann Reed] Goshare Inc 10820147
1:22-cv-01196 Filed Biodelivery Sciences International Inc
Arius Two Inc
Intelgenx Corp
Intelgenx Technologies Corp
Insud Pharma Slu
Chemo Research Sl
Xiromed LLC
8147866
9655843
9901539
8:22-cv-02319 Filed Massoud Heidary Amazoncom Inc
Ring LLC
10380862
2:22-cv-00360 Filed Monument Peak Ventures LLC [Dominion Harbor] Canva Pty Ltd 9848158
8028246
10425612
7032182
8640042
7212668
10728490
7092573
7533129
1:22-cv-01050 Filed Gilbert P Hyatt Katherine K Vidal
2:22-cv-06553 Filed Push Data LLC [Equitable IP] Gucci America Inc
Guccio Gucci Spa
7212811
6983139
7058395
5223844
2:22-cv-06586 Filed Push Data LLC [Equitable IP] Ulta Beauty Inc 7212811
7058395
6983139
7292844
2:22-cv-00362 Filed Greatgigz Solutions LLC [Raymond Anthony Joao] Nextcare Texas LLC
Nextcare Primary Care Texas PLLC
9760864
6662194
10096000
7490086
6:22-cv-00956 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Samriddhi Automations Pvt Ltd 6972790
6473527
8537242
6:22-cv-00960 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Silent Sentinel Ltd 6972790
6473527
8537242
1:22-cv-05060 Filed Confirmetrics LLC Fingerprint Js Inc 9603016
8838967
9801048
6:22-cv-00968 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Vanguard Integrated Solutions Ltd 6972790
6473527
8537242
6:22-cv-00976 Filed Traxcell Technologies [Ramey LLC, Mark and Joyce Ann Reed] Nokia Of America Corp
Nokia Inc
Ericsson Inc
Cellco Partnership Inc
Samsung Group
10390175
9918196
10448209
9888353
1:22-cv-00857 Filed Zpe Licensing Inc Uzoma Iwuagwu
Zzperformance LLC
2:22-cv-00353 Filed Daedalus Prime LLC [Intel, Ed Gomez] Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Samsung Group
10541334
10727183
9627321
9202699
4:22-cv-00138 Filed Cdn Innovations LLC [IP Investments Group] Mediacom Communications Corp 7225157
8868450
6865532
7130831
7164714
7565699
6311180
8024227
7293291
6:22-cv-00939 Filed Textile Computer Systems Inc Regions Financial Corporation 8505079
10560454
10148659
8533802
6:22-cv-00940 Filed Textile Computer Systems Inc Truist Bank 8505079
10560454
10148659
8533802
6:22-cv-00944 Filed Traxcell Technologies [Ramey LLC, Mark and Joyce Ann Reed] Neutron Holdings Inc 10820147
2:22-cv-00358 Filed Alvao Digital LLC [Raymond Anthony Joao] Fc Dallas Soccer LLC 10185918
7899717
1:22-cv-01199 Filed Ohva Inc Payzer LLC 9679286
6:22-cv-00947 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV seloff] Planet Technology Corporation 6972790
6473527
8537242
6:22-cv-00953 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV seloff] Onvu Technologies Group Ag 6972790
6473527
8537242
4:22-cv-05246 Filed Larry Golden Google LLC 10163287
9069189
9589439
3:22-cv-00623 Filed Oralic Supplies Inc Jiang Huang 11253052
1:22-cv-01209 Filed Astrazeneca Hetero Usa Inc
Hetero Labs Ltd
Annora Pharma Private Limited
10300065
6:22-cv-00969 Filed Ald Social LLC [IPValuation Partners] Apple 9198054
9402158
1:22-cv-01063 Filed Trend Micro Inc Open Text Corp
Open Text Inc
Webroot
Open Text Public Sector Solutions Inc
10599844
8045808
8505094
8161548
6:22-cv-00966 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV selloff] Uniview Technology
2:22-cv-00354 Filed Daedalus Prime LLC [Intel, Ed Gomez] Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Samsung Group
10705960
8359629
10372197
9996135
9887838
9432840
2:22-cv-03628 Filed Ohva Inc Magtek 9679286
6:22-cv-00934 Filed Textile Computer Systems Inc Weststar Bank 8505079
10560454
10148659
8533802
6:22-cv-00936 Filed Ohva Inc Feitian Technologies Co Ltd 9679286
6:22-cv-00942 Filed Traxcell Technologies [Ramey LLC, Mark and Joyce Ann Reed] Neighborfavor Inc 10820147
1:22-cv-01045 Filed Oralic Supplies Inc Jiang Huang 11253052
1:22-cv-01204 Filed Ohva Inc Verifone Systems 9679286
8:22-cv-02139 Filed Tree Defender LLC Mike Hurst Citrus Service Incorporated 11406068
0:22-cv-02235 Filed Daniel D Dorneanu Graco Inc
Graco Minnesota Inc
10425703
10426980
2:22-cv-01298 Filed Surfcast Inc Microsoft Corporation 9363338
9032317
9043712
9946434
8:22-cv-02155 Filed Mylan
Apicore Us LLC
Bpi Labs LLC 10626086
9353050
10752580
6:22-cv-00955 Filed Cedar Lane Technologies Inc [IV seloff] Pryntec 6972790
8537242
6:22-cv-00959 Filed Ald Social LLC [IPValuation Partners] Alert Media Inc 9198054
9402158
3:22-cv-05289 Filed Red Hat Inc. Valtrus Innovations Ltd [Centerbridge Capital, Key Patent Innovations] 7533109
7620984
7383471
8230204
6:22-cv-00970 Filed Ald Social LLC [IPValuation Partners] Att Inc 9198054
9402158
6:22-cv-00972 Filed Ald Social LLC [IPValuation Partners] Google LLC 9198054
9402158
2:22-cv-05589 Filed Bausch Health Companies Inc
Salix Pharmaceuticals
Cadila Healthcare
Zydus Lifesciences Limited
8497256
7625884
7452872

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Copyright:gunnar3000 

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