NPEs and patent holders continued targeting major retailers in January. Frequent filers included Patent Armory, Wolverine Barcode IP, Content Aware, Intellectual Ventures, VDPP, and Cedar Lane Technologies. Retailers across the spectrum—from big-box to specialty—found themselves named as defendants in infringement actions.

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.

Content Aware, LLC v. EyeBuyDirect, Inc. et al (E.D. Tex.).

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

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • EyeBuyDirect, Inc.
  • Meesho Technologies Private Limited
  • Reliance Retail Limited

Plaintiff: Content Aware, LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Rabicoff Law

Patent: 11,107,098 (System and method for content recognition and data categorization)

Intellectual Ventures I LLC et al v. United Parcel Service, Inc. (W.D. Tex.).

Claims: Infringement

Defendant: United Parcel Service, Inc.

Plaintiffs:

  • Intellectual Ventures I LLC
  • Intellectual Ventures II LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Prince Lobel Tye; Sorey & Hoover

Patents: 11,363,564 (Paging in a wireless network); 7,199,715 (System and method for tracking ID tags using a data structure of tag reads); 7,336,176 (Position indicating system); 7,623,439 (Cyclic diversity systems and methods); 8,594,122 (Transmit announcement indication)

Nearby Systems LLC v. Sephora USA, Inc. (E.D. Tex.).

Claims: Infringement

Defendant: Sephora USA, Inc.

Plaintiff: Nearby Systems LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Rozier Hardt McDonough

Patents: 10,469,980 (Mashing mapping content displayed on mobile devices); 11,937,145 (Mashing mapping content displayed on mobile devices); 12,185,177 (Mashing mapping content displayed on mobile devices); 9,532,164 (Mashing mapping content displayed on mobile devices)

Patent Armory Inc. v. Multiple Financial Institutions (D. Md., D. Del., E.D. Tex., E.D.N.Y., D. Colo., E.D. Va., W.D. Wis.).

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • Automated Precision, Inc.
  • Turo Inc.
  • Wag Labs, Inc.
  • Capvis AG
  • FourLeaf Federal Credit Union
  • Suffolk Federal Credit Union
  • Broadview Federal Credit Union
  • Bellco Credit Union
  • Columbia Banking System, Inc.
  • Southern Bank
  • Capital Credit Union

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); 7,256,899 (Wireless methods and systems for three-dimensional non-contact shape sensing)

Payvox LLC v. CardFree Inc. et al (D. Del.).

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • CardFree Inc.
  • Touchpoint Restaurant Innovations, Inc.

Plaintiff: Payvox LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Rabicoff Law; Silverman McDonald & Friedman

Patent: 10,762,555 (Systems and methods for automated mass media commerce)

Stratacor LLC v. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (E.D. Tex.).

Judge: District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claims: Infringement

Defendant: Alibaba Group Holding Limited

Plaintiff: Stratacor LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Rubino IP

Patent: 11,257,115 (Providing additional digital content or advertising based on analysis of specific interest in the digital content being viewed)

VDPP, LLC v. Home Depot USA, Inc. et al (E.D. Tex., S.D. Tex.).

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • Home Depot USA, Inc.
  • Penney OpCo LLC d/b/a JCPenney
  • Frontier Airlines, Inc.
  • Jamba Juice, LLC

Plaintiff: VDPP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Ramey

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); 9,948,922 (Faster state transitioning for continuous adjustable 3Deeps filter spectacles using multi-layered variable tint materials)

Wolverine Barcode IP, LLC v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (multiple cases) (E.D. Tex.).

Judge: District Judge Rodney Gilstrap

Claims: Infringement

Defendants:

  • Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
  • Jamba Juice, LLC
  • Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc.
  • Sam’s West, Inc. d/b/a Sam’s Club

Plaintiff: Wolverine Barcode IP, LLC

Pls. Cnsl: Ramey

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