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On October 13, 2014, The Brinkman Corporation filed a petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent 8,381,712 directed to a barbecue grill that allows simultaneous gas grilling and charcoal-fueled grilling. A&J Manufacturing, the owner of the ‘712 patent, challenged Petitioner’s standing to file the IPR based on the fact that the Petition was filed more than one year after the Petitioner received a copy of the complaint filed in a district court alleging infringement of the ‘712 patent or, alternatively, that the Petition was filed more than one year after the service of an ITC Complaint alleging infringement of the ‘712 patent. The Board rejected the Petitioner’s arguments and held that the relevant start of the one year time bar under 35 U.S.C. § 315(b) is the date when the waiver of service of the complaint executed by the Petitioner was filed with the district court. Based on this date, the Petition was filed within the allotted time.

Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 315(b), “[a]n inter partes review may not be instituted if the petition requesting the proceeding is filed more than 1 year after the date on which the petitioner, real party in interest, or privy of the petitioner is served with a complaint alleging infringement of the patent.”
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America’s Collectibles Network (“ACN”) filed a patent infringement action in which it claimed to own U.S. Patent No. 8,370,211 (the “211 Patent”). It brought this action against the Genuine Gemstone Company (“Genuine Gemstone”). Genuine Gemstone filed a motion to dismiss contending that it is the rightful owner of the 211 Patent and that ACN lacks standing to assert infringement.

The district court explained the background facts as follows: “On June 18, 2010, The Colourful Company Group acquired Gems TV (UK) Ltd–the then owner of the 211 Patent–through a share purchase agreement. After the transaction was completed, Gems TV (UK)’s former director, Anthony Hillyer, signed a document purportedly assigning Gems TV (UK)’s interest in the patent to a US affiliate that was not part [of] the sale. ACN traces its chain of title back to that assignment. If the assignment was valid, as ACN contends, then ACN is the rightful owner of the 211 Patent, and this suit may proceed. On the other hand, if the assignment was invalid as the defendant claims, then ACN is not the rightful owner of the 211 Patent, and it lacks standing to assert its infringement claim.”
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In IPR2014-00727, Petitioner C&D Zodiac, Inc. seeks review of U.S. Patent No. 8,590,838 owned by B/E Aerospace, Inc. The ‘838 patent relates to a “spacewall” lavatory. In connection with the IPR proceeding, the Petitioner sought, as “Routine Discovery,” documents that it contends are inconsistent with positions the Patent Owner has advanced in the IPR. The Board granted the discovery over the Patent Owner’s opposition.

Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.51(b)(1)(iii), “[u]nless previously served, a party must serve relevant information that is inconsistent with a position advanced by the party during the proceeding concurrent with the filing of the documents or things that contains the inconsistency.”
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Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. and Fairchild (Taiwan) Corp.’s
(collectively, “Fairchild”) moved in limine to preclude any reference to any pending reexamination proceeding or any completed reexamination proceeding of any asserted patent. Defendant Power Integrations, Inc. (“PI”) asserted that the fact the PTO finally rejected all asserted claims of the patent “is central to the ‘specific intent’ element (or the lack thereof) of Fairchild’s inducement claim” and also negated Fairchild’s proof of intent with respect to willful infringement.

The district court disagreed with PI. Noting that the Federal Circuit “has often warned of the limited value of actions by the PTO when used for” the purpose of “negating the requisite intent for inducement,” the district court stated that the “[t]he pending reexamination of Fairchild’s asserted patent is not final, as Fairchild has appellate rights. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 403, the limited probative value of evidence of the reexamination’ is substantially outweighed by the risk of unfair prejudice to Fairchild, especially the risk of confusion and the need to educate jurors on administrative proceedings governed by different standards and on the potential for reversal of the PTO on appeal.”
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Presidio Components, Inc. (“Presidio”) filed a complaint against American Technical Ceramics Corp. (“ATC”) asserting a claim for patent infringement. ATC filed a motion to stay the case pending PTO review of the patent-in-suit. Presidio opposed ATC’s motion to stay.

The district court began its analysis of the motion by noting that “this is not the first time that ATC has sought reexamination of the ‘356 patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”). On July 23, 2009, ATC filed a request for ex parte reexamination of the ‘356 patent with the PTO seeking PTO review of claims 1-5, 16, 18, and 19. On July 2, 2010, ATC filed a second request for ex parte reexamination of the ‘356 patent with the PTO seeking review of the same claims. After reviewing ATC’s requests for reexamination, the PTO confirmed the patentability of claims 1-5, 16, 18, and 19.”
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After the district court adopted a specialized scheduling order that was based on local patent rules in other districts, the plaintiffs served detailed infringement contentions and the defendant served detailed invalidity contentions early in the case. The parties could only amend the contentions for “good cause.” As the case progressed toward trial, the parties moved to strike various portions of the opposing party’s expert reports arguing that certain references and/or theories were not properly disclosed in the contentions.
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Defendants sought to exclude the testimony of Plaintiff’s expert Joseph C. McAlexander III in its entirety because he lacked the appropriate technical background. In their motion, Defendants alleged that Mr. McAlexander’s testimony was inadmissible because he did not meet the requirements of one of ordinary skill in the art.
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Aylus Networks, Inc. (“Aylus”) sought documents from Apple “relating to the revenue, costs and profits from (1) purchases or rentals of iTunes video content using the accused Apple TV and/or iOS products iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (‘Accused iOS Products’) [and] (2) purchases of video games on the App Store using the Accused iOS Products.” Apple declined to produce the documents and Aylus moved to compel claiming that the information was relevant to its damages claims.

The court began its analysis by noting that Georgia-Pacific factor six examines “[t]he effect of selling the patented specialty in promoting sales of other products of the licensee; that existing value of the invention to the licensor as a generator of sales of his non-patented items; and the extent of such derivative or convoyed sales.” Georgia-Pacific Corp. v. U.S. Plywood Corp., 318 F. Supp. 1116, 1120 (S.D.N.Y. 1970), modified and aff’d, 446 F.2d 295 (2d. Cir. 1971).
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The district court stayed several consolidated cases pending certain proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”). In the order granting the stay, the district court stated: “Upon issuance of a final decision from the PTAB, the parties shall request that the stay be lifted so this case may proceed.”

After the PTAB issued a written decision, Ameranth filed a Notice of Ruling Regarding Issuance of Final Written Decisions; Request to Lift Stay. Defendants filed a response to the notice and both briefs disclosed that the PTAB had issued a written decision on the petitions for CBM review on March 20, 2015.
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After Plaintiff Pi-Net International, Inc. (“Pi-Net”) brought suit against Defendants Focus Business Bank and Bridge Bank, N.A. for patent infringement, the Patent and Trademark Office initiated an Inter Partes Review (“IPR”) of the patents-in-suit. The district court then stayed the action pending the resolution of the IPR. During this stay, Pi-Net executed agreements transferring ownership of the asserted patents to its president Dr. Lakshmi Arunachalam.

The defendants, claiming that Pi-Net now lacks standing to sue for infringement of the asserted patents, moved to lift the stay and dismiss the cases as moot.
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