As usual, the NPE’s were active in January after an extended holiday break. Frequent filers included Bassfield IP, Cedar Lane Technologies, Digi Portal, Estech Systems IP, Internet Media Interactive, and Linfo IP.

As usual, I prepared the report in partnership with and using Docket Navigator and its powerful database.  Docket Navigator is a valuable resource, and the place to go if you want to keep track of new patent litigation filings or want to know what is happening in particular cases, how your judge has historically handled a particular type of motion, or a particular plaintiff’s litigation history.  Finally, please let me know if you have thoughts about the report or changes you would like to see.  I am preparing it as a service for retailers and their supply chain who may want an overview of the patent litigation landscape.  So, I am very open to your suggestions for improving the report.

Bassfield IP LLC v. Applebee’s Restaurants LLC (multiple cases) (W.D. Tex.).  

Judge:             District Judge Alan D. Albright

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Applebee’s Restaurants LLC
  • Darden Concepts, Inc. d/b/a Darden Restaurants
  • Logan’s Roadhouse, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Bassfield IP LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Direction IP Law

Patent:            6,641,053 (Foreground/background document processing with dataglyphs)

Cedar Lane Technologies Inc. v. Starfish Technologies, LLC (S.D. Tex., N.D. Ga., D. Del., W.D. Tex.).

Judges:           District Judge Charles Eskridge; District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., District Judge Alan D. Albright

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Starfish Technologies, LLC
  • EPIX, Inc.
  • Phytech US, Inc.
  • The LS Starrett Company
  • Snap Inc.
  • Excelitas Technologies Corp.
  • Illunis LLC
  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
  • Novantas Inc.
  • Thorlabs, Inc.
  • Advantech Co., Ltd.
  • Technicolor SA
  • Antares Vision SpA
  • Honda Motor Company, Ltd.
  • SensoPart Industriesensorik GmbH

Plaintiff:         Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Rabicoff Law; Gawthrop Greenwood; Hill Kertscher & Wharton;

Patents:          6,972,790 (Host interface for imaging arrays); 8,537,242 (Host interface for imaging arrays); RE42,528 (End-of-scan reporting system); 8,165,867 (Methods for translating a device command); 7,557,920 (Method and apparatus for auto-adjusting illumination)

Digi Portal LLC v. Aldi, Inc. (multiple cases) (D.Del.).

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Aldi, Inc.
  • The Orvis Company Inc.

Plaintiff:         Digi Portal LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Direction IP Law; Chong Law Firm

Patents:          8,352,854 (Dynamic page generator); 9,626,342 (Dynamic page generator); 5,983,227 (Dynamic page generator); 7,171,414 (Dynamic page generator); 7,565,359 (Dynamic page generator); 8,352,854 (Dynamic page generator).

Estech Systems IP, LLC v. Mitel Networks, Inc. (multiple cases) (E.D. Tex.).

District Judge Rodney Gilstrap; Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Mitel Networks, Inc.
  • Liberty Mutual Group Inc.
  • Abbott Laboratories
  • Fiserv, Inc.
  • FiServ Solutions, LLC
  • Conduent BPO Services, LLC
  • Conduent Business Process Optimization Services, Inc.
  • Conduent, Inc.
  • Conduent Legal & Compliance Solutions, LLC
  • Randstad Professionals US, LLC
  • Randstad US LLC
  • Marriot International, Inc.
  • Primoris Design & Construction, Inc.
  • Primoris Services Corporation
  • Carvana, LLC
  • Public Storage
  • Extra Space Management Inc.
  • Extra Space Properties
  • Extra Space Storage Inc.
  • SoFi Mortgage, LLC
  • SoFi Technologies, Inc.
  • Toyota Motor Corporation
  • Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing Nort America, Inc.
  • Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, Inc.
  • Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
  • Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
  • BMW of North America, LLC
  • McKesson Corporation
  • Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.
  • Petco Animal Supplies Store. Inc.
  • Petco Animal Supplies Stores, Inc.
  • Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc.
  • 99 Cents Only Stores LLC
  • 99 Cents Only Stores Texas, Inc.
  • First American Financial Corporation
  • Republic Title of Texas Inc

Plaintiff:         Estech Systems IP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Williams Simons & Landis

Patents:          6,067,349 (Dialing using caller ID); 7,068,684 (Quality of service in a voice over IP telephone system); 7,123,699 (Voice mail in a voice over IP telephone system); 8,391,298 (Phone directory in a voice over IP telephone system)

Internet Media Interactive Corp. v. AbbVie Inc. (N.D. Ill., D. Del.).

Judge:             District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • AbbVie Inc.
  • Camden Media Inc.
  • North Equity Consulting LLC
  • North Equity LLC
  • Recurrent Ventures Inc.
  • Recurrent Ventures LLC

Plaintiff:         Internet Media Interactive Corp.

Pls. Cnsl:        O’Kelly & O’Rourke; Haller Law

Patent:            6,049,835 (System for providing easy access to the World Wide Web utilizing a published list of preselected Internet locations together with their unique multi-digit jump codes)

Linfo IP, LLC v. Walgreensboots Alliance, Inc (W.D. Tex., S.D.N.Y.).

Judge:             District Judge Alan D. Albright

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Walgreensboots Alliance, Inc
  • L’Oréal USA, Inc.
  • Pentair Filtration Solutions, LLC
  • Ace Hardware Corporation
  • BPS Direct, LLC
  • Guitar Center, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Linfo IP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Ramey & Schwaller; Law Office of David J. Hoffman

Patents:          9,092,428 (System, methods and user interface for discovering and presenting information in text content); 9,430,131 (System, methods, and user interface for organizing unstructured data objects)

Lupercal, LLC v. Ally Financial Inc. (E.D. Tex.).

Judges:           District Judge Rodney Gilstrap; Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne

Claims:           Infringement

Defendant:     Ally Financial Inc.

Plaintiff:         Lupercal, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        The Mort Law Firm

Patent:            9,386,094 (System, method and apparatus for media submission)

MOV-ology LLC v. BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. et al. (W.D. Tex.).

Judge:             District Judge Alan D. Albright

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.
  • BigCommerce, Inc.
  • BigCommerce Pty. Ltd.

Plaintiff:         MOV-ology LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Sheridan Ross; Sorey & Gilliland

Patents:          10,769,358 (Obtaining data from incomplete electronic forms); 9,286,282 (Obtaining data from abandoned electronic forms)

S3G Technology LLC v. Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. (E.D. Tex., W.D. Tex.).

Judge:             District Judge Rodney Gilstrap; District Judge Alan D. Albright

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.
  • Raising Cane’s Restaurants, LLC
  • Sephora USA, Inc.

Plaintiff:         S3G Technology LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Parker Bunt & Ainsworth

Patents:          10,261,774 (Modification of terminal and service provider machines using an update server machine); 9,081,897 (Modification of terminal and service provider machines using an update server machine); 9,940,124 (Modification of terminal and service provider machines using an update server machine); 8,572,571 (Modification of terminal and service provider machines using an update server machine); 9,304,758 (Modification of terminal and service provider machines using an update server machine)

Scanning Technologies Innovations, LLC v. Patron Technology, LLC d/b/a TicketLeap (S.D.N.Y).

Claims:           Infringement

Defendant:     Patron Technology, LLC d/b/a TicketLeap

Plaintiff:         Scanning Technologies Innovations, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Kizzia Johnson

Patent:            10,600,101 (Systems and methods for indicating the existence of accessible information pertaining to articles of commerce)

Wepay Global Payments LLC v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA (multiple cases) (N.D. Ill.).

Judges:           District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer; District Judge Sara L. Ellis

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:   

  • JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA
  • Bank of America, NA

Plaintiff:         Wepay Global Payments LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Wawrzyn LLC

Patent:            D930,702 (Display screen portion with animated graphical user interface)

Zoho Corporation v. Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (W.D. Tex.).

Claims:           Declaratory Judgment

Defendant:     Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC

Plaintiff:         Zoho Corporation

Pls. Cnsl:        Slayden Grubert Beard, Marton Ribera Schumann & Chang

Patents:          10,074,088 (Methods, apparatus and computer program products for securely accessing account data); 10,956,901 (Methods, apparatus and computer program products for securely accessing account data); 9,373,122 (Methods, apparatus and computer program products for securely accessing account data)