BNB Health Grades, Inc. (“Health Grades”) filed a patent infringement action against MDx Medical, Inc., d/b/a Vitals.com (“MDx”). During the litigation, Health Grades identified licensing agreements and associated systems that it contended could support additional contentions relating to Health Grades’ claim for indirect infringement.” After MDx declined to produce the…
Articles Posted by Stan Gibson
Production of Billing Statements from Law Firm Denied Even Though Deponent Could Not Recall Details of Why Information Was Not Disclosed to PTO
The defendants in this patent infringement action sought the production of certain billing statements of the law firm representing CleanTech. The defendants argued that the billing statements were discoverable based on their inequitable conduct defense because a witness was unable to recall why certain information was not disclosed to the…
District Court Precludes Deposition of In-House Counsel Who Acted as Part of Trial Team Even Though Counsel Had Relevant, Non-Privileged Conversations Regarding Indemnity
After plaintiff, McAirlaids, requested the deposition of one of Kimberly-Clark’s (“K-C”) in-house litigation counsel, K-C filed a motion for a protective order pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c) to preclude the deposition of its in-house counsel, Vicki Margolis (“Margolis”), who is an active member of its trial team. Counsel…
District Court Denies Motion to File Amended Complaint to Add Direct Infringement Claim
Plaintiff Kaneka Corporation (“Plaintiff”) filed a patent infringement against SKC Kolon PI, Inc. (“SKPI” or “Defendant”) and SKC, Inc. (“SKC America”). After the district court issued a scheduling order setting, among other things, a final day to amend pleadings, the Plaintiff moved for leave to amend its first amended complaint…
District Court Denies Daubert Motion Based on VirnetX as Exceeding the District Court’s Role as Gatekeeper
In this patent infringement action, Adobe filed a Daubert motion seeking to exclude the plaintiff’s damage expert largely based on VirnetX, Inc. v. Cisco Sys., Inc., 2014 WL 4548722 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 16, 2014). As explained by the district court, “Adobe does not seriously challenge Mr. Yurkerwich’s qualifications as an…
District Court Grants Motion to Compel Internal Counsel Communications of Plaintiff That Did Not Pertain to Litigation
Dell moved to compel the production of certain internal counsel communications at the plaintiff, MLR. MLR had refused to produce the documents, claiming work product protection. As explained by the district court, “[i]n the circumstances presented here, which are the result of MLR’s choices, the established policies underlying the work…
District Court Precludes Admission of Inter Partes Review Proceedings in Front of Jury But Permits Consideration as part of Willfulness Determination
In this patent infringement action between Ultratec, Inc. (“Ultratec”) and Sorenson Communications, Inc. (“Sorenson”), Sorenson sought to admit evidence of an inter partes review proceeding of the patent-in-suit. Sorenson wanted to admit the evidence to contradict the plaintiff’s use of the presumption of validity of the patent. As explained by…
Fujitsu v. Tellabs: The District Court Orders Additional Sanctions for Fujitsu’s Continued “Contemptuous Conduct”
Following the district court’s previous order granting a motion to compel against Fujitsu, and Fujitsu’s unsuccessful appeal to the Federal Circuit, the district court ordered sanctions in the form of a civil penalty. As the district court explained, the civil penalty was designed to provide an incentive to motivate the…
Fujitsu v. Tellabs: Fujitsu Appeal’s Decision on Motion to Compel and, After It Loses on Appeal, District Court Orders a Civil Penalty Which Doubles Each Day Documents Are Not Produced
In this patent infringement action, the district court granted a motion to compel filed by Tellabs against Fujitsu. Fujitsu then filed a petition for a writ of mandamus with the Federal Circuit to overturn the decision of the district court. The Federal Circuit promptly denied the writ of mandamus as…
Inducing Infringement Claim Dismissed on Sua Sponte Order Where Alleged Infringer Did Not Perform All Method Steps and Did Not Exercise Direction and Control
In this patent infringement action, the district court issued a sua sponte order requiring plaintiff to show why its inducing infringement claims should not be dismissed as a matter of law. After addressing the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in Limelight, the district court noted that no single party…