NPEs had a busy August, targeting numerous retailers across multiple jurisdictions. Key plaintiffs included Near Field Electronics, Induction Devices, and Patent Armory.

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.

Alpha Modus, Corp. v. Cooler Screens, Inc. (N.D. Ill., E.D. Tex.).

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

Claims: Infringement

Defendants: 

  • Cooler Screens, Inc.
  • A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions Corp.

Plaintiff: Alpha Modus, Corp.

Pls. Cnsl: Prince Lobel Tye

Patents: 10,360,571 (Method for monitoring and analyzing behavior and uses thereof); 10,977,672 (Method and system for real-time inventory management, marketing, and advertising in a retail store); 11,042,890 (Method and system for customer assistance in a retail store); 11,049,120 (Method and system for generating a layout for placement of products in a retail store); 11,301,880 (Method and system for inventory management in a retail store); 12,354,121 (Methods and systems for shopping in a retail store)

AML IP, LLC v. United Supermarkets, LLC (multiple cases) (W.D. Tex.).

Judge: District Judge David Counts

Claims: Infringement

Defendants: 

  • United Supermarkets, LLC
  • Schlotzsky’s Franchisor SPV, LLC

Plaintiff: AML IP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Ramey

Patent: 7,177,838 (Method and apparatus for conducting electronic commerce transactions using electronic tokens)

CheckWizard LLC v. The American National Bank of Texas (multiple cases) (E.D.Tex.).

Judge: District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • The American National Bank of Texas
  • Banc of California
  • BOKF, NA d/b/a Bank of Texas
  • JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

Plaintiff: CheckWizard LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Rabicoff Law

Patent: 10,140,514 (Capturing and sharing images with mobile device users including for a limited duration of time)

EdisonLED, LLC v. The Home Depot, Inc. (W.D. Tex.).

Judge: District Judge David Counts

Claims: Infringement

Defendant: The Home Depot, Inc.

Plaintiff: EdisonLED LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Steckler Wayne Love; Lee Sullivan Shea & Smith

Patents: 10,224,455 (Light emitting device and method of forming the same); 10,281,123 (Illumination device); 10,319,703 (Light bulb); 10,989,396 (Illumination device); 11,519,564 (Light emitting bulb); 11,808,436 (Light emitting apparatus); 7,489,068 (Light emitting device); 7,560,738 (Light-emitting diode array having an adhesive layer); 8,240,881 (Light-emiting device package); 9,065,022 (Light emitting apparatus); 9,166,116 (Light emitting device); 9,368,483 (Illumination device capable of decreasing shadow of lighting effect); 9,664,340 (Light emitting device); 9,741,699 (Light emitting device); 9,793,451 (Light-emitting diode device)

Induction Devices LLC v. Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. (multiple cases) (E.D. Tex.).

Judge: District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.
  • Athleta LLC
  • Banana Republic, LLC
  • Old Navy, LLC
  • The Gap, Inc.
  • Penney OpCo LLC d/b/a JCPenney
  • Ross Stores, Inc.
  • Ulta Beauty, Inc.
  • BPS Direct, LLC d/b/a Bass Pro Shops
  • Cabela’s LLC
  • Dillard’s, Inc.
  • IKEA US Retail LLC
  • Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
  • The Brand House Collective, Inc. f/k/a Kirkland’s, Inc.
  • Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
  • Recreational Equipment, Inc. a/k/a REI
  • Somnigroup International Inc. d/b/a Tempur-Pedic

Plaintiff: Induction Devices LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Shea Beaty

Patents: 7,449,926 (Circuit for asynchronously resetting synchronous circuit); 7,899,145 (Circuit, system, and method for multiplexing signals with reduced jitter); 8,190,885 (Non-volatile memory sub-system integrated with security for storing near field transactions); 8,370,543 (Busy detection logic for asynchronous communication port); 8,543,628 (Method and system of digital signal processing)

Linfo IP, LLC v. Chewy, Inc. (S.D. Tex., D. Utah.).

Claims: Infringement

Judges: District Judge Ted Stewart; District Judge David Barlow; Magistrate Judge Daphne A. Oberg

Defendants: 

  • Chewy, Inc.
  • Luxy Hair, Inc.

Plaintiff: Linfo IP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Ramey

Patent: 9,430,131 (System, methods, and user interface for organizing unstructured data objects)

Near Field Electronics LLC v. AutoZone, Inc. et al (E.D. Tex.).

Judge: District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • AutoZone, Inc.
  • The Pep Boys–Manny, Moe & Jack LLC
  • Spencer Gifts, LLC a/k/a Spencer Gifts Online, LLC
  • Trader Joe’s Company
  • Trader Joe’s East Inc.
  • Vans, Inc.

Plaintiff: Near Field Electronics LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Shea Beaty

Patents: 6,691,201 (Dual mode usb-ps/2 device); 6,742,071 (Real-time i/o processor used to implement bus interface protocols); 6,959,350 (Configurable USB interface with virtual register architecture); 6,996,727 (Power supply for universal serial bus interface with programmable bus pullup resistor); 7,373,531 (Signal detection method, frequency detection method, power consumption control method, signal detecting device, frequency detecting device, power consumption control device and electronic apparatus)

Patent Armory Inc. v. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (E.D.N.Y.).

Judge: District Judge Hector Gonzalez

Claims: Infringement

Defendant: MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.

Plaintiff: Patent Armory Inc.

Pls. Cnsl: Rabicoff Law

Patents: 7,023,979 (Telephony control system with intelligent call routing); 9,456,086 (Method and system for matching entities in an auction)

Secure Matrix LLC v. Cavender Stores, Ltd. d/b/a Cavender’s (E.D. Tex.).

Judges: Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne; District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III

Claims: Infringement

Defendant: Cavender Stores, Ltd. d/b/a Cavender’s

Plaintiff: Secure Matrix LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Rabicoff Law

Patent: 8,677,116 (Systems and methods for authentication and verification)

SmartOrder LLC v. BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (multiple cases) (E.D. Tex.).

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

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.
  • Burger King Corporation
  • Five Guys Enterprises LLC
  • Hooters of America, LLC
  • McAlister’s Franchisor SPV LLC

Plaintiff: SmartOrder LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Rabicoff Law

Patent: 9,390,424 (System and method for improving customer wait time, customer service, and marketing efficiency in the restaurant, retail, hospitality, travel, and entertainment industries)

Random Chat, LLC v. LG Electronics, Inc. et al (E.D. Tex.).

Judge: District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • LG Electronics, Inc.
  • LG Electronics USA, Inc.

Plaintiff: Random Chat, LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Ramey

Patent: 8,402,099 (Method for carrying out a multimedia communication based on a network protocol, particularly TCP/IP and/or UDP)

Wolverine Barcode IP, LLC v. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. (W.D. Tex.).

Claims: Infringement

Defendant: Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. d/b/a Dunkin’ Donuts d/b/a Baskin Robbins

Plaintiff: Wolverine Barcode IP LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Ramey

Patent: 9,280,689 (Method and apparatus for conducting offline commerce transactions)