SEPTEMBER 2025 RETAIL PATENT LITIGATION REPORT

NPEs were very active in September with numerous cases filed against retailers. Notable plaintiffs included Alpha Modus, Headwater Research, Cedar Lane Technologies, VDPP, and Random Chat.

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. The Kroger Co. (E.D. Tex., W.D. Tex.).

Judge:  Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claims:  Infringement

Defendants:

• The Kroger Co.
• Creative Realities, Inc.
• Allerin Tech Pvt Ltd.
• MNTN, Inc.
• Mood Media LLC
• RetailNext Inc.

Plaintiff:  Alpha Modus, Corp.

Pls. Cnsl:  Prince Lobel Tye

Patents:  10,360,571 (METHOD FOR MONITORING AND ANALYZING BEHAVIOR AND USES THEREOF); 10,853,825 (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); 12,026,731 (METHOD FOR PERSONALIZED MARKETING AND ADVERTISING OF RETAIL PRODUCTS); 12,039,550 (METHOD FOR ENHANCING CUSTOMER SHOPPING EXPERIENCE IN A RETAIL STORE); 12,354,121 (METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SHOPPING IN A RETAIL STORE)

Headwater Research LLC v. Walmart Inc. (multiple cases) (E.D. Tex.).

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

Claims:  Infringement

Defendants:

• Walmart Inc.
• Target Corporation
• Uber Technologies, Inc.

Plaintiff:  Headwater Research LLC

Pls. Cnsl:  Russ August & Kabat

Patents:  10,321,320 (Wireless Network Buffered Message System); 9,198,117 (Network System With Common Secure Wireless Message Service Serving Multiple Applications on Multiple Wireless Devices); 9,615,192 (MESSAGE LINK SERVER WITH PLURAL MESSAGE DELIVERY TRIGGERS)

Cedar Lane Technologies Inc. v. Beech Hill Securities, Inc. (S.D.N.Y., W.D.Tex.).

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

• Beech Hill Securities, Inc. (SDNY)
• Cantor Fitzgerald, LP (SDNY)
• City National Rochdale, LLC (SDNY)
• Clear Street, LLC (SDNY)
• Corinthian Partners, LLC (SDNY)
• Citibank NA (WDTX)

Plaintiff:  Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.

Pls. Cnsl:  Rabicoff Law

Patent:  8,577,782 (TRADING WITH CONDITIONAL OFFERS FOR SEMI-ANONYMOUS PARTICIPANTS)

VDPP, LLC v. The TJX Companies, Inc. (S.D.Fla., W.D.Tex., E.D.N.Y., W.D.Wis.).

Claims:  Infringement

Defendants:

• The TJX Companies, Inc.
• Subway IP LLC
• Janam Technologies LLC
• Innovative Video Technology, Inc.
• Dynamic Displays, Inc.

Plaintiff:  VDPP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:  Ramey; Law Office of Victoria E. Brieant; Law Offices of David J. Hoffman

Patents:   7,030,902 (ETERNALISM, A METHOD FOR CREATING AN APPEARANCE OF SUSTAINED THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOTION-DIRECTION OF UNLIMITED DURATION, USING A FINITE NUMBER OF PICTURES); 9,426,452 (FASTER STATE TRANSITIONING FOR CONTINUOUS ADJUSTABLE 3DEEPS FILTER SPECTACLES USING MULTI-LAYERED VARIABLE TINT MATERIALS); 9,699,444 (FASTER STATE TRANSITIONING FOR CONTINUOUS ADJUSTABLE 3DEEPS FILTER SPECTACLES USING MULTI-LAYERED VARIABLE TINT MATERIALS); 9,716,874 (CONTINUOUS ADJUSTABLE 3DEEPS FILTER SPECTACLES FOR OPTIMIZED 3DEEPS STEREOSCOPIC VIEWING, CONTROL METHOD AND MEANS THEREFOR, AND SYSTEM AND METHOD OF GENERATING AND DISPLAYING A MODIFIED VIDEO); 9,948,922 (FASTER STATE TRANSITIONING FOR CONTINUOUS ADJUSTABLE 3DEEPS FILTER SPECTACLES USING MULTI-LAYERED VARIABLE TINT MATERIALS)

Random Chat, LLC v. Lumen Technologies, Inc. (W.D.Tex., D.Utah).

Judge:  District Judge David Counts

Claims:  Infringement

Defendants:

• Lumen Technologies, Inc.
• KURU Footwear, 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)

Yopima, LLC v. DoorDash, Inc. (W.D.Tex., E.D.N.Y.).

Claims:  Infringement

Defendants:

• DoorDash, Inc.
• Grubhub Holdings, Inc.
• Neutron Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Lime
• NeighborFavor, Inc. d/b/a Favor
• Curb Mobility, LLC

Plaintiff: Yopima, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:  Ramey; Law Offices of David J. Hoffman

Patent:  9,119,038 (SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPARATIVE GEOFENCING)

Wolverine Barcode IP, LLC v. The Kroger Co. (multiple cases) (W.D.Tex.).

Claims:           Infringement

Defendants:

• The Kroger Co.
• Macy’s, Inc.
• Paysafecard.com USA Inc.

Plaintiff:  Wolverine Barcode IP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl:  Ramey

Patent:  9,280,689 (METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING OFFLINE COMMERCE TRANSACTIONS)

Context Directions LLC v. Ewing Buick-Plano, L.P. (multiple cases) (E.D.Tex.).

Judge:  District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claims:  Infringement

Defendants:

• Ewing Buick-Plano, L.P.
• Tyler Motor Company, Inc.

Plaintiff:  Context Directions LLC

Pls. Cnsl:  Direction IP Law

Patents:  10,142,791 (METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTEXT AWARENESS OF A MOBILE DEVICE); 9,807,564 (Method for Detecting Context of a Mobile Device and a Mobile Device with a Context Detection Module)