Patent Law Practice Center

Apple Files Nine Reexamination Requests

We’re posting the latest  installment of Reexamination Requests from Scott Daniels, of Reexamination Alert and Practice Center Contributor a few days early this week in light of the holiday weekend.  Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Apple has been especially active lately in defending against charges of patent infringement by filing requests for reexamination.  In response to two separate infringement suits in Texas, it filed requests against two Mirror Works patents and three Affinity Labs patents, and for an ITC investigation, it filed requests against four S3 Graphics patents (See Inter partes Request Nos. (1) to (3) & (5) to (6), and Ex parte Request Nos. (16) to (19)).

The following inter partes requests were filed:

(1)         95/001,487 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 7,751,327 entitled ATHLETIC MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD and owned by Affinity Labs. of Texas Filed November 15, 2010, by Apple.  The ‘327 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Affinity Labs. v. Nike et al. (E.D. Tex., Case 2:10-cv-54-DF-CE). (more…)

Samsung Attack On Two Mobile Phone Antenna Patents Owned By Fractus Among The Reexamination Requests Filed The Week Of November 8th

Here is the latest  installment of Reexamination Requests from Scott Daniels, of Reexamination Alert and Practice Center Contributor….

Last year Fractus S.A of Spain sued Samsung and a host of other mobile telephone makers in the Eastern District of Texas for infringing nine patents related to internal antennas for mobile telephones.  Samsung has now filed reexamination requests against two of those Fractus patents (Inter partes Request Nos. (1) & (2) below).  Requests for reexamination have now been filed against all nine Fractus patents-in-suit.

Also of special interest are reexamination requests filed by TiVo against two EchoStar patents for TV programming (Ex parte Request Nos. (3) & (5) below).

The following inter partes requests were filed: (more…)

Reexamination Requests by Whirlpool against Two LG Refrigerator Patents among those Filed the Week of November 1st

Here is the latest  installment of Reexamination Requests from our friends at Reexamination Alert….

The most commercially significant requests filed last week are likely the ones filed by Whirlpool against two LG refrigerator patents (Inter partes Nos. (4) & (5) below).  LG sued Whirlpool for infringement of those patents a little more than a year ago.  In early 2008, Whirlpool filed an ITC complaint against LG for several patents covering refrigerators (Inv. No. 337-TA-632), and in February of this year, the Commission issued its final determination finding no violation of Section 337.

Also of interest is a request filed by DexCom against an analyte sensor patent owned by TheraSense (Ex parte No. (9)).

The following inter partes requests were filed: (more…)

Reexamination Request Against Honeywell’s HFC Patent Among Those Filed Week of October 4th

Here is this week’s  installment of Reexamination Requests from our friends at Reexamination Alert….

Honeywell has obtained a number of patents in recent years for hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) patents.  HFCs are environmentally friendly alternatives to the hydrochlorofluorocarbons for use in aerosols and refrigerants.  Inter partes Request No. 2 below challenges Honeywell’s patent.

A request was also filed against Medicis’ patent (Ex parte Request No. 9) for foaming pad containing benzoyl peroxide, used to treat acne.  The ‘355 patent is the subject of a contentious case in Arizona, filed earlier this year. (more…)

Samsung Attack on Antenna Patents among Reexamination Requests Filed Week of September 27th

Here is this week’s  installment of Reexamination Requests from Scott M. Daniels, of Reexamination Alert and Practice Center Contributor….

Samsung filed reexamination requests (Inter partes Nos. 4, 10 and 11) last week against three Fractus patents for antennas.  Fractus had sued Samsung and quite a number of other wireless companies, including LG, Research in Motion, Kyocera, HTC, Sharp and Sanyo, for infringement of those patents.

Also of interest is a request (Inter partes No. 1) filed by CEJN AB against Westendorf Mfg.’s U.S. Patent No. 7,717,471 for a hydraulic line device.  The two companies are already in a reexamination of Westendorf’s U.S. Patent No. 7,021,668 – the examiner’s rejection of the claims of the ‘668 is now before the PTO Board of Appeals.

Finally, Encore filed a request (Inter partes No. 12) against a Southwire patent for electrical cables.  Southwire is noted among ITC practitioners for having filed in the late 1970’s the first major Section 337 complaint. (more…)