Patent Law Practice Center

Google Request for Reexamination of Walker Digital Patent, among those Filed Week of June 25, 2012

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

Last year Walker Digital sued BMW, MapQuest, TomTom, Teleman, Blusens, NDrive, Samsung and Google for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,199,014 claiming a vehicle navigation system (see inter partes Request No. (2)).  Last Tuesday Google requested reexamination of the ‘014 patent.  A motion to stay the litigation is likely to follow.

Reexamination was requested for Ronald Katz’ U.S. Patent No. 5,898,762 claiming a telephone interface system (see ex parte Request No. (2)).  Katz has sued Charter, Time Warner Cable, EarthLink, DIRECTV and U.S. Cellular for infringing the ‘762 patent.

Friday is the most popular day for filing reexamination requests, unless you are the Troll Buster Jeff Oster who filed two more requests on Saturday, these against two Life Technologies hybridization assay patents, on behalf of Bioresearch (see ex parte Request Nos. (9) & (10)).

The following inter partes requests were filed:

(1)         95/002,030 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 7,534,366 entitled COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING FLUORINE SUBSTITUTED OLEFINS and owned by Honeywell International.  Filed June 26, 2012, by Mexichem Amanco Holding S.A. de C.V.  The ‘366 patent is currently the subject of a declaratory judgment action styled Arkema et al. v. Honeywell International, (Case No. 10-cv-2886 (E.D. Pa.)).

(2)         95/002,031 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 6,199,014 entitled SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING DRIVING DIRECTIONS WITH VISUAL CUES and owned by Walker Digital.  Filed June 26, 2012, by Google.  The ‘014 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Walker Digital v. Apple et al. (Case No. 1:11-cv-309 (D. Del.))

The following ex parte requests were filed:

(1)         90/012,376 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 5,898,762 entitled TELEPHONIC-INTERFACE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM and owned by Ronald A. Katz Tech. Licensing LP.  Filed June 27, 2012.   The ‘762 patent is currently the subject of six infringement actions.

(2)         90/012,377 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 8,030,026 entitled ANTIBODIES TO TROPONIN I AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF and owned by Abbott Labs.  Filed June 28, 2012, by HyTest Oy.

(3)         90/012,378 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 6,779,118 entitled USER SPECIFIC AUTOMATIC DATA REDIRECTION SYSTEM and owned by Linksmart Wireless Systems.  Filed June 28, 2012, likely by T-MOBILE USA.   The ‘118 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Linksmart Wireless v. T-MOBILE USA (Case No. –cv-522)).

(4)         90/012,379 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 6,641,477 entitled ELECTRONIC SECOND SPIN SLOT MACHINE and owned by Rembrandt Gaming Technologies.  Filed June 29, 2012.

(5)         90/012,380 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 5,451,375 entitled APPARATUS FOR TRIMLESS SAMPLE CUP USED IN X RAY SPECTROSCOPY and owned by Chemplex Industries.  Filed June 29, 2012.

(6)         90/012,381 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. D604,188 entitled MINI LIGHT BAR and owned by Filed June 29, 2012, by Wolo Mfg.   The ‘188 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Shin v. Wolo Mfg. et al. (Case No. 2:12-cv-2592 (C.D. Cal.)).

(7)         90/012,382 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 5,819,201 entitled NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH VEHICLE SERVICE INFORMATION and owned by Beacon Navigation.  Filed June 29, 2012.

(8)         90/012,383 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 6,258,569 entitled HYBRIDIZATION ASSAY USING SELF-QUENCHING FLUORESCENCE PROBE and owned by Life Techs.  Filed June 30, 2012, by Biosearch Techs.   The ‘569 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Applied Biosystems et al. v. Midland Certified Reagents et al. (Case No. 3:12-cv-852 (N.D. Cal.)).

(9)         90/012,384 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 6,030,787 entitled HYBRIDIZATION ASSAY USING SELF-QUENCHING FLUORESCENCE PROBE and owned by Life Techs.  Filed June 30, 2012, by Bioresearch Techs.   The ‘787 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Applied Biosystems et al. v. Midland Certified Reagents et al. (Case No. 3:12-cv-852 (N.D. Cal.)).

DirecTV Reexamination Request of Satellite Broadcast Patent One of the Requests Filed the Week of June 18, 2012

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

Last Monday, DIRECTV asked for reexamination of a patent owned by Global Communications and claiming a satellite broadcast receiving and distribution system (see inter partes Request No. (1)). Global has sued a number of companies – presumably DIRECTV partners – for infringing that patent, as well as seven others.

Reexamination was requested for U.S. Patent No. 6,770,748 owned by Santaris Pharma and claiming nucleotide analogues that suitable as antisense molecules for treatment of cancer and AIDS patients (see inter partes Request No. (2)).  The Patent Office records do not yet show the identity of the requester, but it might be Isis since Santaris and Isis have fought over rights to this technology in the past.

Yet another request for reexamination was filed against a MobileMedia Ideas patent, perhaps by Apple or HTC – the Patent Office records do not say (see ex parte Request No. (6)).

Finally, DuPont and Monsanto are tussling over a soybean oil patent (see inter partes Request No. (7)).

The following inter partes requests were filed:

(1) 95/002,022 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 6,397,038 entitled SATELLITE BROADCAST RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM and owned by Global Communications.  Filed June 18, 2012, by DIRECTV.  The ‘038 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Global Communications v. PDI Communications et al.(Case No. 4:11-cv-451 (N.D. Fla.).

(2) 95/002,023 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 6,770,748 entitled BICYCLONUCLEOSIDE AND OLIGONUCLEOTIDE ANALOGUE and owned by Santaris Pharma.  Filed June 18, 2012, perhaps by Isis.

(3) 95/002,024 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 7,707,823 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING AND DILUTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE EXHAUST GASES and owned by Leseman Davis, LLC.  Filed June 19, 2012.

(4) 95/002,025 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 7,320,031 entitled AUTOMATIC, PERSONALIZED ONLINE INFORMATION AND PRODUCT SERVICES and owned by Personalized User Model (PUM).  Filed June 20, 2012, perhaps by Google.  The ‘031 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Personalized User Model v. Google (Case No. 09-cv-525 (D. Del.)).

(5) 95/002,026 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 7,917,401 entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OBTAINING HEALTH AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION WITH A HANDHELD DEVICE and owned by Epic Technology.  Filed June 20, 2012, by eBay.  The ‘401 patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled Epic Technology v. Shapsavvy (Case No. 2:12-cv-249 (D. Utah)).

(6) 95/002,027 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 8,073,744 entitled METHOD TO PROVIDE LIQUID FUNDS IN THE ONLINE AUCTION AND MARKETPLACE and owned by Venture Lending & Leasing VI.  Filed June 22, 2012, by Capital Access Network.

(7) 95/002,028 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 7,790,953 entitled SOYBEAN SEED AND OIL COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME and owned by Monsanto.  Filed June 22, 2012, by DuPont.

(8) 95/002,029 (electronically filed) – U.S. Patent No. 7,925,531 entitled METHOD OF DELIVERING GOODS AND SERVICES VIA MEDIA and owned by TrialCard Systems.  Filed June 22, 2012.  The ‘531patent is currently the subject of a litigation styled TrialCard Systems v. P.S.K.W. et al. (Case No. 3:11-cv-5693 (D.N.J.)).

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Reexamination Requests Against Abbott Labs’ HIV Drug Patents Among the Reexamination Requests Filed the Week of June 11, 2012

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

Earlier this year, Abbott Labs sued Roxane Labs for infringement U.S. Patent Nos. 7,148,359 and 7,364,752 which claim the HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir, in one patent as a crystalline polymorph, and in the other as a solid dispersion in a water soluble carrier.  On Friday reexamination was requested for both patents (see inter partes Request Nos. (7) & (8)).  Although the Patent Office records do not yet show the identity of the requester, it is quite likely Roxane.

Sony requested reexamination of a Jay Walker patent for a game user to enter preferences (see inter partes Request No. (1)). Walker Digital had sued Sony and Microsoft in Delaware for infringement of the patent.

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Troll Busters®’ Attack on Nucleic Acid Patent One of the Reexamination Requests Filed the Week of June 4, 2012

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

Jeff Oster, who operates out of offices on Mercer Island, Washington under the descriptive nom de plume “Troll Busters®,” was busy last week.  On Wednesday, he filed a 356-page request, containing 16 distinct SNQs, seeking reexamination U.S. Patent No. 5,928,907 (see ex parte Request No. (6)).  It’s always difficult for an outsider to measure the strength of a reexamination request, but this one has the look and heft of an effective one.  The Request begins with the description of Troll Busters as “working to promote new technologies by protecting the public from over-broad patent rights used for extortion and ‘troll-like’ demands….”

Arteris requested reexamination of Sonics’ on-chip system patent (see inter partes Request No. (4)).  This is at least the second Sonicspatent challenged by Arteris.  Sonics has sued Arteris in the Northern District of California for infringement of those two patents, plus six other patents. (more…)

Anonymous Attack on Facebook’s User News Feed Patent Among the Reexamination Requests Filed the Week of May 21, 2012

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

This past March, Yahoo! sued Facebook for infringement of 10 social networking patents, and soon thereafter Facebook counter-claimed for infringement of 10 of its own social networking patents, most notably U.S. Patent 7,669,123 claiming a method for displaying “a news feed in a social network environment,” specifically, a news feed about people a user knows.  An unnamed party has now requested reexamination of Facebook’s ‘123 patent (see ex parteRequest No. (2)).  Yahoo! denies that it filed the request.  The ‘123 patent attracted a fair amount of negative comment in the blogosphere when it issued in 2010, most of it suggesting that the ‘123 claims were impossibly broad and could stifle competition.

Samsung requested reexamination of a video pixel labeling patent owned by ObjectVideo (see inter partes Request No. (1)). ObjectVideo has sued Samsung and others in the ITC for infringement of the patent.  A parallel infringement action in the Eastern District of Virginia has been stayed pending completion of the ITC case.

Finally, reexamination was requested by an undisclosed party for U.S. Patent No. 7,479,949, that claims a touch screen and names Steve Jobs as an inventor (see ex parte Request No. (8)).  Apple has sued Motorola, Samsung, and others for infringing the ‘949 patent.  Apple’s case against Motorola is scheduled to go trial in June before Judge Posner.  Excellent reports on these Apple cases can be found on almost a daily basis at http://www.fosspatents.com/ written by our friend Florian Mueller. (more…)