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TiVo Raises Claims of Inequitable Conduct That Survive Dismissal

TiVo filed a patent infringement action against Verizon and Verizon counterclaimed alleging that TiVo infringed six of its patents. TiVo raised inequitable conduct counterclaims against certain of the Verizon patents. Verizon filed a motion to dismiss, which the district court granted under the principles set forth in Exergen Corp. v.…

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Direct and Indirect Infringement Contentions Survive Motion to Dismiss Where Defendants’ Customers Are Identified as Direct Infringers

Plaintiff filed a patent infringement action based on patents for wireless communications networks and a system and method for monitoring and controlling remote devices. Defendants moved to dismiss the plaintiff’s claims for direct infringement and for inducing and contributory infringement based on the argument that plaintiff failed to identify a…

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Another Inequitable Counterclaim Dismissed after Therasense

Plaintiff filed a patent infringement action against the defendant alleging that certain of defendant’s T-shirt transfer products infringed plaintiff’s patent. Defendant filed an answer and counterclaim which accused the plaintiff of inequitable conduct in amending its patent during a reissuance of the patent. Defendant claimed that plaintiff deliberately pursued a…

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Court Allows Discovery Directed to Inequitable Conduct Defense Even After the Discovery Cut-Off

In a recent ruling from the United States District Court for the Sothern District of California, a Magistrate Judge allowed discovery to take place on an inequitable conduct defense after the discovery cut-off. The defendant propounded document requests a little more than 30 days before the discovery cut-off and plaintiff…

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Hurricane Shooters Defendant Toasts Court’s Ruling That Its Section 102(g) Prior Invention Defense Survives Summary Judgment

Plaintiff Hurricane Shooters, LLC sought summary judgment of no invalidity on Defendant’s defenses of prior inventorship under Section 102(g) and lack of utility under Section 101. The patents-in-suit involve drinking cups for serving mixed drinks in bars and restaurants having a plural chamber that optimizes the mixing of fluids as…

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Twenty Percent Royalty Rate Appropriate Where Plaintiff Was Highly Unlikely to License Its Patent to Defendant, a Direct Competitor

After the district court determined that the plaintiff’s patent was infringed and was not invalid based on anticipation or obviousness, the district court held a bench trial on the issue of damages. The district court first analyzed the issue of lost profits. Finding that the plaintiff could not meet several…

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Oracle and Google Edge Closer to Trial and the District Court Denies Google’s Objection to Pool of Jurors

As the battle between Oracle and Google approaches nearer to trial, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has denied Google’s objection to the selection of the pool of jurors who will hear the trial. The district court previously notified Oracle and Google that the district…

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Failing to Produce Documents and False Declarations Lead to Monetary Sanctions and Evidentiary Sanctions Precluding Defendants from Contradicting Plaintiffs’ Experts on Issues of Infringement, Sales and Profits

Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit for patent infringement, unfair competition and breach of fiduciary duty against several defendants, including AIM Sports. Plaintiffs design, develop and distribute firearm related tools, accessories and sporting optics. Defendants and plaintiffs had a business relationship that permitted Defendants to access trade secret information that belonged to…

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Motion to Compel Granted Over Defendant’s Request to Limit Scope of Search for Electronically Stored Information Because Search and Review Would Cost $1 Million

In this patent infringement suit, the parties were unable to agree upon a written Electronically Stored Information (“ESI”) protocol. Before the protocol was executed, the district court ordered the parties to comply with all scheduling orders and production deadliness regardless of whether they had agreed upon a final written agreement…

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Another Inequitable Conduct Defense Bites the Dust after Thereasense

Abaxis, Inc. (“Abaxis”) filed a patent infringement action against Cepheid asserting that Cepheid infringed four of Abaxis’ patents. In its answer, Cepheid asserted a defense of inequitable conduct and Abaxis moved to dismiss the defense. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted the motion. In…

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