NPE activity ramped back up in September, as it often does as summer ends and kids go back to school.* Frequent filers included Advanced Transactions, Aeritas, Cedar Lane, Gratuity Solutions, Lexos Media, Optinetix, Push Data, S3G Technology, and Traxcell.

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.

* Note I am catching up on a backlog because of some very busy IP litigation over the last year or so.

Advanced Transactions, LLC v. Regis Corporation et al (W.D. Tex.).

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Regis Corporation
  • Supercuts Corporate Shops, Inc. d/b/a Supercuts, Cost Cutters, Roosters, and SmartStyle SuperCuts, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Advanced Transactions, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Daignault Iyer

Patents:          10,783,529 (Third-party provider method and system); 7,065,555 (System and method related to generating and tracking an email campaign); 7,386,594 (System and method related to generating an email campaign); 7,693,950 ( System and method related to generating and tracking an email campaign); 7,979,057 (Third-party provider method and system); 8,150,736 (Global electronic commerce system); 8,175,519 (Third-party provider method and system); 9,747,608 (Third-party provider method and system)

Aeritas, LLC v. Staples, Inc. (multiple cases) (W.D. Tex.).

Judges:           District Judge Alan D. Albright; Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland 

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Office Depot, LLC
  • Staples, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Aeritas, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        The Mort Law Firm

Patents:          7,706,819 (Mixed-mode interaction); 8,055,285 (Mixed-mode interaction); 8,620,364 (Mixed-mode interaction); 9,888,107 (Mixed-mode interaction)

Cedar Lane Technologies Inc. v. Watchnet, Inc. (W.D.N.Y.).

Claims:           Infringement

Defendant:     Watchnet, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Rabicoff Law

Patents:          6,473,527 (Module and method for interfacing analog/digital converting means and JPEG compression means); 6,972,790 (Host interface for imaging arrays); 8,537,242 (Host interface for imaging arrays)

Gratuity Solutions LLC et al v. Toast, Inc. (D. Mass.).

Judge:             District Judge Patti B. Saris

Claims:           Infringement

Defendant:     Toast, Inc.

Plaintiffs:

  • Gratuity Solutions LLC
  • Gratuity, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Arrowood

Patents:          10,726,436 (System and method for managing gratuities); 9,741,050 (System and method for managing gratuities)

Lexos Media IP, LLC. v. ABT Electronics, Inc. (N.D. Ill.).

Judge:             Magistrate Judge Mary M. Rowland

Claims:           Infringement

Defendant:     ABT Electronics, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Lexos Media IP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Buether Joe & Counselors; Fuksa Khorshid

Patents:          5,995,102 (Server system and method for modifying a cursor image); 6,118,449 (Server system and method for modifying a cursor image)

Lower48 IP LLC v. Shopify Inc. (W.D. Tex.).

Claims:           Infringement

Defendant:     Shopify Inc.

Plaintiff:         Lower48 IP LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        The Mort Law Firm; Daignault Iyer

Patents:          10,140,349 (Method and/or system for transforming between trees and strings); 11,100,070 (Manipulation and/or analysis of hierarchical data); 11,194,777 (Manipulation and/or analysis of hierarchical data); 7,681,177 (Method and/or system for transforming between trees and strings)

OHVA, Inc. v. MagTek, Inc. (E.D. Pa., W.D. Tex.).  

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • MagTek, Inc.
  • Electronic Merchant Systems, LLC 
  • Feitian Technologies Co., Ltd.  

Plaintiff:         OHVA, Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:        Rabicoff Law; Napoli Shkolnik

Patent:            9,679,286 (Methods and apparatus for enabling secure network-based transactions)

Optinetix (Israel) Ltd. v. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.).

Claims:           Infringement

Defendant:     Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.

Plaintiff:         Optinetix (Israel) Ltd.

Pls. Cnsl:        Loaknauth Law; Budo Law

Patent:            7,349,668 (Systems and methods for embedding commercial information into broadcast media)

Push Data LLC v. Fleet Fleet, Incorporated (multiple cases) (C.D. Cal.).

Judges:           Magistrate Judge John E. McDermott; District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr.; District Judge Fernando M. Olguin; Magistrate Judge Margo A. Rocconi   

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • Fleet Fleet, Incorporated
  • Gucci America, Inc. 
  • Guccio Gucci SpA 
  • The Johnny Rockets Group, Inc. 
  • Ulta Beauty, Inc.   
  • Smashburger IP Holder LLC 
  • TGI Friday’s, Inc. 

Plaintiff:         Push Data LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Law Offices of Seth W. Wiener

Patents:          7,058,395 (Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems); 7,212,811 (Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems): 7,292,844 (Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems); 6,983,139 (Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems)

S3G Technology LLC v. Nordstrom, Inc. (E.D. Tex.).

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

Claims:           Infringement

Defendant:     Nordstrom, 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)

Traxcell Technologies, LLC v. AfterShip, Inc. (W.D. Tex., S.D. Tex., S.D. N.Y.).

Judges:           District Judge Alan D. Albright; Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland 

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

  • AfterShip, Inc.
  • Bird Rides, Inc. 
  • NeighborFavor, Inc. d/b/a Favor
  • Neutron Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Lime   
  • GoShare, Inc.
  • Helbiz, Inc. 
  • Curb Mobility, LLC
  • Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart
  • Shopify Data Processing (USA), Inc 
  • FlightAware, LLC 

Plaintiff:         Traxcell Technologies, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:        Ramey LLP

Patent:            10,820,147 (Mobile wireless device providing off-line and on-line geographic navigation information)