Patent Law Practice Center

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 Requests For the Weeks of October 18th and 25th

Here is the latest  installment of Reexamination Requests from Scott M. Daniels, of Reeaxamination Alert and Practice Center Contributor which includes the requests for the weeks of October 18th and October 25th….

NVIDIA Attack on Rambus Patent Among Requests Filed the Week of October 18^th

In their litigation/reexamination wars, Rambus and NVIDIA often look like two boxers trying to slug each other into submission.  That was true last Wednesday.  The same day that the PTO issued its Notice of Intent to issue a reexamination certificate, confirming the claims of Rambus’ U.S. Patent No. 6,715,020, NVIDIA requested another reexamination (Inter Partes Request No. 2 below).  The ‘020 patent is just one of 17 patents that Rambus has accused NVIDIA of infringing in their case pending in the Central District of California.  Five of those Rambus patents in litigation were the subject of a recently settled ITC investigation.  The ‘020 patent is related to Rambus’ U.S. Patent No. 7,209,997, which is also part of the California litigation and the subject of two pending reexaminations.  NVIDIA is now appealing the reexamination examiner’s decision to confirm the patentability of the ‘997 claims (95/000,471). (more…)

Reexamination Request Against Taser Patent Among Those Filed Week of October 11th

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

The clear stand-out among the reexamination requests filed last week was one against U.S. Patent No. 6,999,295, the patent for the famous Taser® stun gun, owned by Taser International.  The preamble of one of the ‘295 claims euphemistically recites a “dual operating mode electronic disabling device for immobilizing a target.”  Taser successfully sued Stinger Systems in Arizona for infringement of the ‘295 patent, culminating in an infringement judgment in August.  Taser owns another patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,102,870, claim 3 of which has been held to be invalid as obvious over the prior art.

A request was also filed against Apple’s U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 (Ex parte No. 10).  As reported by our friend Gene Quinn in IPWatchdog, Apple has sued HTC and Exeda for infringement of the ‘647 patent, among many other patents. (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…)