throbber
Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 1 of 21 PageID #: 5943
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
`
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`)
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`Defendants.
`
`
`
`
`
`C.A. No. 18-1519 (MN)
`
`FINJAN, INC.,
`
`
`
`
`
`RAPID7, INC., et al.,
`
`
`
`
`
`v.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`MEMORANDUM ORDER
`
`At Wilmington this 5th day of February 2020:
`
`IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the claim terms of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,677,494
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`(“’494 Patent”), 8,079,086 (“’086 Patent”), 7,975,305 (“’305 Patent”), and 7,613,918
`
`(“’918 Patent”) with agreed-upon constructions are construed as follows (see D.I. 116 at
`
`Exhibit 1):
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`“Downloadable[s]” means “an executable application program, which is
`downloaded from a source computer and run on a destination computer”
`(’494 Patent, claim 10; ’086 Patent, claims 1, 17, 41, & 42);
`
`“Destination computer” means “separate computer receiving the [appended
`downloadable / Downloadable and a representation of the Downloadable
`security profile data]” (’086 Patent, claims 1, 17, 24, 41, & 42);
`
`“Database” means “a collection of interrelated data organized according to
`a database schema to serve one or more applications” (’494 Patent, claim
`10; ’305 Patent, claims 1, 13, & 25; ’086 Patent, claims 41 & 42);
`
`“Parse tree” means “a hierarchical structure of interconnected nodes built
`from scanned content” (‘408 Patent, claims 1, 22, & 35);
`
`“Code-A” means “potentially malicious executable code” (’918 Patent,
`claims, 1, 12, 22, 28, & 33);
`
`“Code-B” means “executable wrapper code” (’918 Patent, claims 1, 22, 28,
`& 33);
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 2 of 21 PageID #: 5944
`
`7.
`
`8.
`
`“Code-C” means “combined code” (’918 Patent, claims 1, 12, 22, 28, &
`33); and
`
`“Security context” means “an environment in which a software application
`is run, which may limit resources that the application is permitted to access
`or operations that the application is permitted to perform” (’918 Patent,
`claims 1, 12, 22, 28, & 33).
`
`
`
`Further, as announced at the hearing on January 22, 2020, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that
`
`the disputed claim terms of the ’494 Patent, ’086 Patent, ’305 Patent, ’918 Patent, and U.S. Patent
`
`Nos. 8,141,154 (“’154 Patent”) and 8,225,408 (“’408 Patent”) are construed as follows:
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`7.
`
`8.
`
`9.
`
`“Downloadable scanner” means “software that decomposes code using
`conventional parsing techniques to identify suspicious patterns or
`suspicious computer operations” (’494 Patent, claim 10; ’086 Patent, claim
`24);
`
`“list of suspicious computer operations [that may be attempted by]” means
`“list of computer operations derived from a received Downloadable that are
`deemed hostile or potentially hostile” (’494 Patent, claim 10; ’086 Patent,
`claims 1, 17, 24, 41, & 42);
`
`“appended Downloadable” means “downloadable with a representation of
`the Downloadable security profile data attached” (’086 Patent, claim 1);
`
`“first function” / “second function” shall have its plain and ordinary
`meaning and no construction is necessary (’154 Patent, claims 1, 4, 6, &
`10);
`
`“content processor” means “a processor that processes content” (’154
`Patent, claims 1 & 6);
`
`“a call to a first function” means “a statement or instruction in the content,
`the execution of which causes the function to provide a service” (’154
`Patent, claims 1, 4, 6, & 10);
`
`“a rule-based content scanner” means “a scanner that is able to adapt itself
`dynamically to scan a specific type of content” (’305 Patent, claim 1);
`
`“patterns of types of tokens” means “patterns of categories of tokens” (’305
`Patent, claims 1, 13, & 25);
`
`“scanner” means “a scanner that is able to adapt itself dynamically to scan
`a specific type of content” (’408 Patent, claims 1 & 22);
`
`2
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 3 of 21 PageID #: 5945
`
`10.
`
`11.
`
`12.
`
`13.
`
`14.
`
`15.
`
`16.
`
`“parser rules” means “patterns of tokens that form syntactical constructs of
`program code” (’408 Patent, claims 1 & 22);
`
`“dynamically building” shall have its plain and ordinary meaning, “non-
`static building” (’408 Patent, claims 1, 22, 29, & 35);
`
`“dynamically detecting” shall have its plain and ordinary meaning, “non-
`static detecting” (’408 Patent, claims 1, 22, 29, & 35);
`
`“incoming stream of program code” shall have its plain and ordinary
`meaning (’408 Patent, claims 1, 22, 29, & 35);
`
`“instantiating, by the computer, a scanner for the specific programming
`language / instantiating a scanner for the specific programming language”
`means “generating or requesting a scanner that can scan the specific
`programming language” (’408 Patent, claims 1 & 22);
`
`“executable wrapper code / wrapper executable code” means “executable
`code that wraps another executable” (’918 Patent, claims 1, 12, 22, 28, &
`33);
`
`“computer account(s)” shall have its plain and ordinary meaning, “computer
`account(s)” (’918 Patent, claims, 1, 12, 22, 28, & 33);
`
`17.
`
`“combining” / “combine” shall have its plain and ordinary meaning (’918
`Patent, claim 1).
`
`The parties briefed the issues (see D.I. 76) and submitted an appendix that included briefing
`
`and orders from numerous related cases and proceedings (see D.I. 77). The parties also submitted
`
`a Joint Claim Construction Chart containing intrinsic evidence (see D.I. 55-58). The Court
`
`carefully reviewed all submissions in connection with the parties’ contentions regarding the
`
`disputed claim terms, heard oral argument (see D.I. 118, 121), and applied the following legal
`
`standards in reaching its decision.
`
`LEGAL STANDARDS
`
`“[T]he ultimate question of the proper construction of the patent [is] a question of law,”
`
`although subsidiary fact-finding is sometimes necessary. Teva Pharms. USA, Inc. v. Sandoz, Inc.,
`
`574 U.S. 318, 325-27 (2015). “[T]he words of a claim are generally given their ordinary and
`
`3
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 4 of 21 PageID #: 5946
`
`customary meaning [which is] the meaning that the term would have to a person of ordinary skill
`
`in the art in question at the time of the invention, i.e., as of the effective filing date of the patent
`
`application.” Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312-13 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc) (internal
`
`citations and quotation marks omitted). Although “the claims themselves provide substantial
`
`guidance as to the meaning of particular claim terms,” the context of the surrounding words of the
`
`claim also must be considered. Id. at 1314. “[T]he ordinary meaning of a claim term is its meaning
`
`to the ordinary artisan after reading the entire patent.” Id. at 1321 (internal quotation marks
`
`omitted).
`
`The patent specification “is always highly relevant to the claim construction analysis . . .
`
`[as] it is the single best guide to the meaning of a disputed term.” Vitronics Corp. v. Conceptronic,
`
`Inc., 90 F.3d 1576, 1582 (Fed. Cir. 1996). It is also possible that “the specification may reveal a
`
`special definition given to a claim term by the patentee that differs from the meaning it would
`
`otherwise possess. In such cases, the inventor’s lexicography governs.” Phillips, 415 F.3d at
`
`1316. “Even when the specification describes only a single embodiment, [however,] the claims of
`
`the patent will not be read restrictively unless the patentee has demonstrated a clear intention to
`
`limit the claim scope using words or expressions of manifest exclusion or restriction.” Hill-Rom
`
`Servs., Inc. v. Stryker Corp., 755 F.3d 1367, 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (internal quotation marks
`
`omitted) (quoting Liebel-Flarsheim Co. v. Medrad, Inc., 358 F.3d 898, 906 (Fed. Cir. 2004)).
`
`In addition to the specification, a court “should also consider the patent’s prosecution
`
`history, if it is in evidence.” Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 52 F.3d 967, 980 (Fed. Cir.
`
`1995) (en banc), aff’d, 517 U.S. 370 (1996). The prosecution history, which is “intrinsic evidence,
`
`. . . consists of the complete record of the proceedings before the [Patent and Trademark Office]
`
`and includes the prior art cited during the examination of the patent.” Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1317.
`
`4
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 5 of 21 PageID #: 5947
`
`“[T]he prosecution history can often inform the meaning of the claim language by demonstrating
`
`how the inventor understood the invention and whether the inventor limited the invention in the
`
`course of prosecution, making the claim scope narrower than it would otherwise be.” Id.
`
`In some cases, courts “will need to look beyond the patent’s intrinsic evidence and to
`
`consult extrinsic evidence in order to understand, for example, the background science or the
`
`meaning of a term in the relevant art during the relevant time period.” Teva, 574 U.S. at 331.
`
`Extrinsic evidence “consists of all evidence external to the patent and prosecution history,
`
`including expert and inventor testimony, dictionaries, and learned treatises.” Markman, 52 F.3d
`
`at 980. Expert testimony can be useful “to ensure that the court’s understanding of the technical
`
`aspects of the patent is consistent with that of a person of skill in the art, or to establish that a
`
`particular term in the patent or the prior art has a particular meaning in the pertinent field.”
`
`Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1318. Nonetheless, courts must not lose sight of the fact that “expert reports
`
`and testimony [are] generated at the time of and for the purpose of litigation and thus can suffer
`
`from bias that is not present in intrinsic evidence.” Id. Overall, although extrinsic evidence “may
`
`be useful to the court,” it is “less reliable” than intrinsic evidence, and its consideration “is unlikely
`
`to result in a reliable interpretation of patent claim scope unless considered in the context of the
`
`intrinsic evidence.” Id. at 1318-19. Where the intrinsic record unambiguously describes the scope
`
`of the patented invention, reliance on any extrinsic evidence is improper. See Pitney Bowes, Inc.
`
`v. Hewlett-Packard Co., 182 F.3d 1298, 1308 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (citing Vitronics, 90 F.3d at 1583).
`
`I.
`
`THE COURT’S RULING
`
`The Court’s rulings regarding the disputed claim terms of the ’494, ’086, ’305, ’918, ’154,
`
`and ’408 Patents were announced from the bench at the hearing as follows:
`
`Before we start[], I wanted to give you my rulings on terms that we
`argued last week. So in this case, we have six patents and nineteen
`
`5
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 6 of 21 PageID #: 5948
`
`disputed terms. We heard argument on nine disputed terms in four
`of the patents last week [– U.S. Patent Nos. 8,677,494 (“’494
`Patent”), 8,079,086 (“’086 Patent”), 8,141,154 (“’154 Patent”), and
`7,613,918 (“’918 Patent”) –] and will hear argument on the
`remaining terms here today. I did see your letter this morning, that
`you were withdrawing the terms “function type” in the ’305 Patent
`and “analyzer rules” in the ’408 Patent. Thank you for that. I
`appreciate the efforts.
`
`. . . [First,] I want to rule on the nine disputes addressed last week.
`I will not be issuing a written opinion, but I will issue an order
`stating my rulings. I want to emphasize before I announce my
`decisions that while I am not issuing a written opinion, we have
`followed a full and thorough process before making the decisions I
`am about to state. I have reviewed each of the patents in dispute.
`There was full briefing on each of the disputed terms. There was an
`extensive appendix that included briefing and orders from numerous
`related cases and proceedings and there was argument here last
`week. All of that has been carefully considered.
`
`Now as to my rulings. I am not going to read into the record my
`understanding of claim construction law generally. I have a legal
`standard section that I have included in earlier opinions, including
`recently in Waters Corporation v. Agilent Technologies, Inc.,
`C.A. No. 18-1450. I incorporate that law and adopt it into my ruling
`today and will also set it out in the order that I issue.
`
`As to the person of skill in the art, neither party has asserted that
`there are any relevant differences in their proposed definitions of a
`person of ordinary skill in the art that would be relevant to these
`proceedings.
`
`Now the disputed terms:
`
`The first term is “Downloadable scanner” in claim 10 of the ’494
`Patent and claim 24 of the ’086 Patent. Plaintiff asserts that the term
`should have its ordinary meaning, which it states is “scanner for
`scanning Downloadables.” Defendants construe the term to mean
`“software that decomposes code using conventional parsing
`techniques to identify suspicious patterns or suspicion computer
`operations.”
`
`There are two differences in their constructions. At argument last
`week, Plaintiff agreed
`that
`the claimed
`scanner
`scans
`
`6
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 7 of 21 PageID #: 5949
`
`identify suspicion patterns or suspicious
`to
`Downloadables
`computer operations. In fact, language to that effect is included in
`claim 10 already and the concept is included in claim 24. And
`Plaintiff acquiesced to including that language in the term
`“Downloadable scanner” in the prior Cisco case. Thus, the dispute
`here appears to be over whether the scanner “decomposes code
`using conventional parsing techniques.”
`
`Here, I will agree with Defendants and construe the term to mean
`“software that decomposes code using conventional parsing
`techniques to identify suspicious patterns or suspicious computer
`operations.” The Federal Circuit previously addressed this term,
`stating that “[t]he Downloadable scanner in claim 10 is a code
`scanner that generates the DSP data by decomposing the code using
`conventional parsing techniques. The code scanner identifies
`suspicious computer operations in the Downloadable code and lists
`them as DSP data. Finally, the DSP data for the Downloadable is
`stored in a database.” [Palo Alto Networks, Inc. v. Finjan, Inc.,
`777 F. App’x 501, 503 (Fed. Cir. 2019).] It is the first sentence of
`that holding that Defendants rely on for their construction.
`
`Plaintiff says that those statements are merely background and do
`not address the issue here. I disagree that those are merely
`background or are irrelevant. Although the Federal Circuit did not
`set forth its reasoning, it stated what the “Downloadable scanner” is
`and relied on that in upholding the PTAB decision that the claims at
`issue were not unpatentable over the prior art.
`
`Moreover, Plaintiff’s position is that anything that meets the
`language following “Downloadable scanner” in claim 10 is a
`“scanner.” During the PTAB proceedings, the PTAB rejected that
`position. The Petitioner had argued that the prior art had an emulator
`that carried out the same function as the scanner in claim 10. The
`PTAB found that “the fact that [the prior art’s] emulator might serve
`the recited function of ‘deriving the security profile data for the
`Downloadable’. . . does not establish that a person of ordinary skill
`in the art would understand it to teach or suggest a ‘scanner.’” The
`Federal Circuit affirmed this, effectively rejecting the position
`Plaintiff offers here. [Id. at 505-06.]
`
`And the Federal Circuit’s statements are supported by the intrinsic
`evidence. The written descriptions of the ’494 Patent and the
`’086 Patent do not include disclosure of a “Downloadable scanner,”
`but the ’194 Patent specification is incorporated by reference in the
`
`7
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 8 of 21 PageID #: 5950
`
`’494 Patent and discloses a “code scanner.” [’194 Patent at col. 7,
`l. 55.] The same is true of the ’086 Patent. [’086 Patent at col. 2, ll.
`5-11.] At column 5, lines 42 through 48, the ’194 Patent explains
`“the code scanner 325 uses conventional parsing techniques to
`decompose the code (including all prefetched components) of the
`Downloadable into the DSP data 310.” It then continues, stating
`that the code scanner may generate DSP data that includes
`suspicious computer operations and that a code scanner “may search
`the code for any pattern, which is undesirable or suggests that the
`code was written by a hacker.” [’194 Patent at col. 5, ll. 50-57.]
`Similarly, the code scanner is referenced in column 9 of the
`’194 Patent.
`
`Plaintiff says that these are simply embodiments, but they are the
`only embodiments disclosed in the patent.
`
`Finjan asserts that the proposed construction cannot be correct
`because the ’494 and ’086 Patents have examples of Downloadables
`that are
`in “machine
`language,” which
`is “not
`typically
`‘decompose[d] using conventional parsing techniques.’” For that,
`Finjan cites to the Abstract of the two patents as well as claims of
`those patents. Finjan, however, fails to explain or support that
`assertion - relying solely on one sentence of conclusory attorney
`argument in their brief that does not negate my conclusion that my
`construction is supported by the intrinsic evidence.
`
`The second term is “list of suspicious computer operations [that may
`be attempted by]” in claim 10 of the ’494 Patent and claims 1, 17,
`24, 41, and 42 of the ’086 Patent. Plaintiff construe[s] this term to
`mean “list of computer operations that are deemed hostile or
`potentially hostile.” Defendants construe it to mean “list of
`computer operations in a received Downloadable that are deemed
`hostile or potentially hostile.”
`
`The crux of this dispute is Defendants’ proposed addition of the
`words “in a received Downloadable.” In particular, the issue is
`whether the “suspicious computer operations” to be included on the
`list must be operations found within the Downloadable as opposed
`to derived from the Downloadable.
`
`Here I agree with Plaintiff that the list must only be derived from
`data in the Downloadable.
`
`8
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 9 of 21 PageID #: 5951
`
`So, I will construe it to mean “list of computer operations derived
`from a received Downloadable that are deemed hostile or potentially
`hostile.”
`
`This [is] supported by the intrinsic evidence. First, the claim
`language itself. It requires deriving security data for the
`Downloadable, including the list that is at issue. The language
`requires that this list include operations that the Downloadable may
`perform, but it does not specify that those operations must all be
`found in the Downloadable rather than, for example, operations that
`are known to be used by a given source that has been identified for
`the received Downloadable.
`
`Additionally, nothing in the specification of the ’494 or ’086 Patents
`or the ’194 Patent requires the operations to be in the Downloadable.
`At argument, there was discussion of the two lists referenced in the
`’194 Patent. But there is no real dispute that the list referenced in
`the claims is the “short list.”
`
`Additionally, the ’194 specification supports this construction. For
`example, the Downloadable security profile data, which includes the
`list at issue, is derived specifically for the Downloadable received.
`The specification says that the Downloadable’s derived security
`profile data can then be compared against “the access control list,”
`which “contains criteria indicating whether to pass or fail the
`Downloadable.” [See ’194 Patent at col. 6, ll. 13-20.] While this
`pass-fail step is not itself recited or reached in claim 10, it illustrates
`that the “list of suspicious computer operations” generated is limited
`to a specific Downloadable - the one received. It doesn’t, however,
`require that the list be operations found in the Downloadable – just
`that they be derived from it.
`
`And there are additional statements in the specification, such as the
`discussion of “known Downloadables” in column 4[, lines 29-40,]
`of the ’194 Patent, that suggest information about the operations a
`Downloadable may perform may come from other attributes, such
`as whether they were previously received or their source. [See also
`’194 Patent at col. 6, ll. 37-47.]
`
`The third term is “appended Downloadable” in claim 1 of the ’086
`Patent. Plaintiff construes this term to have its “plain and ordinary
`meaning, which is ‘a Downloadable with data attached to it.’”
`Defendants construe
`it
`to mean “a Downloadable with a
`
`9
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 10 of 21 PageID #: 5952
`
`representation of the Downloadable security profile data attached to
`the end of the Downloadable.”
`
`There are two differences in language proposed, but the dispute here
`really is whether the “to the end” language proposed by Defendants
`is appropriate.
`
`This dispute turns on the meaning of the word “append” and whether
`that requires attachment anywhere or attachment “to the end.” Here
`I construe this term to mean a “Downloadable with a representation
`of the Downloadable security profile data attached.” To be clear,
`the attachment need not be at the end.
`
`Initially, I note that the patent does not use the word “append” in the
`written description. That word only appears in the claims.
`
`The parties have each submitted proposed dictionary definitions of
`“append.” Some require attachment at the end and some do not.
`Given that at least one of these definitions defines “append” to mean
`“attach” or “affix” without requiring the attachment be at the end[,
`see Append, Webster’s Pocket Computer Dictionary of the English
`Language (New Revised ed. 1997) (“append: To add, as a
`supplement.”),] I will not read that limitation into the term absent
`clear intent by the patentee to do so or disclaimer.
`
`Here, I do not find any such intent or clear disclaimer. Indeed, it
`appears that the specification of the ’086 Patent includes an
`embodiment in which the security profile data is sequenced before
`the Downloadable in the appended file - and thus it is not necessarily
`attached at the end. [’086 Patent at col. 11, ll. 16-26 (“by
`concatenating, within sandboxed package 340, MPC 341 for
`delivery to a Downloadable-destination first, followed by protection
`policies 342 and Downloadable 343”).]
`
`The fourth term is “first function” / “second function” in claims 1,
`4, 6, and 10 of the ’154 Patent. Plaintiff asserts that this term should
`have its plain and ordinary meaning and no construction is
`necessary. Defendants construe the term to mean “substitute
`function/original function, which is different than the first function.”
`
`The parties’ dispute concerning this term is whether the “first
`function” and “second function” can be the same function.
`
`This term has been the subject of more than one prior decision. And
`different courts have come out different ways. I, however, am going
`
`10
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 11 of 21 PageID #: 5953
`
`to construe it according to its ordinary meaning. To be clear, I do
`not construe it to require that the first and second functions be
`different.
`
`This is supported by the intrinsic evidence. There is nothing in the
`claims of the ’154 Patent that requires the two functions to be
`different - or precludes the two from using the same function.
`
`Defendants rely on the specification language that describes the
`“original” and “substitute” functions and says that “[t]o enable the
`client computer to pass function inputs to the security computer and
`suspend processing of content pending replies from the security
`computer, the present invention operates by replacing original
`function calls with substitute function calls within the content, at a
`gateway computer, prior to the content being received at the client
`computer.” [’154 Patent at col. 4, ll. 55-60.]
`
`Defendants contend that the specification would not have described
`the functions as “original” and “substitute” functions if those
`functions were identical.
`
`But other related patents use the terms “original” and “substitute” in
`the claims and the ’154 Patent does not. And other places in the
`’154 Patent refer generally to the “first function” and “second
`function” without referencing “substitute” or “original” function.
`[See, e.g., ’154 Patent at col. 7, ll. 32-43.]
`
`Defendants also point to the Federal Circuit’s decision in Palo Alto
`Networks, but I do not read that decision as being inconsistent with
`Plaintiff’s proposal. The Federal Circuit noted that “each [claim]
`recit[es] a system or software program that executes a substitute
`function. The substitute function inspects the input to an original
`function to determine if executing the original function with the
`input violates a security policy.” The “‘first function’ is the
`inspection step in which the content is assessed for safety, and the
`‘second function’ is when, having been deemed safe, the content is
`actually run.” [Palo Alto Networks, Inc. v. Finjan, Inc., 752 F.
`App’x 1017, 1018 (Fed. Cir. 2018).]
`
`Although it does use the terms “substitute” and “original,” I do not
`read those statements as requiring that the first and second
`function[s] be different.
`
`11
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 12 of 21 PageID #: 5954
`
`Accordingly, I conclude that the specification does not support
`Defendants’ argument that the first and second functions must be
`different. The term’s plain and ordinary meaning governs, and no
`construction is necessary. [See Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1312 (“[T]he
`words of a claim are generally given their ordinary and customary
`meaning.”).]
`
`Next, the fifth term, is “content processor” in claims 1 and 6 of the
`’154 Patent. Plaintiff asserts the term should have its plain and
`ordinary meaning, i.e., “a processor that processes content.”
`Defendants construe the term to mean “a processor that processes
`modified content.”
`
`The dispute is over the addition of the [word] “modified” in
`Defendants’ construction. Initially, I note that multiple courts have
`already construed this term to be governed by its plain and ordinary
`meaning – though none of those courts addressed the addition of the
`word “modified” that Defendants argue for here. [See e.g., Finjan,
`Inc. v. Proofpoint, Inc., No. 4:13-cv-05808-HSG, Dkt. No. 267, at
`18 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 3, 2015) (“[T]he term [‘content processor’] does
`not require any construction beyond its plain and ordinary
`meaning.”); Finjan, Inc. v. Symantec Corp., No. 4:14-cv-02998-
`HSG, Dkt. No. 170, at 18 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 10, 2017) (“Accordingly,
`the Court finds that ‘content processor’ should be given its plain and
`ordinary meaning . . . .”); Finjan, Inc. v. Bitdefender Inc., No. 4:17-
`cv-04790-HSG, Dkt. No. 101, at 21 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 14, 2019) (“In
`turn, the Court again finds that no construction is necessary for this
`term and that ‘content processor’ has sufficiently specific structure
`based on the claim language and specification.”).]
`
`Defendants’ argument is based largely on the same arguments it
`made in connection with the “first function” and “second function”
`terms. They argue that the Federal Circuit stated that asserted claims
`of the ’154 Patent “recit[e] a system or software program that
`executes a substitute function,” which is the claimed “first
`function.” [Palo Alto Networks, 752 F. App’x at 2018.] They assert
`that this call to a substitute function only exists after the original
`content is modified at a gateway device to include it. [’154 Patent
`at col. 9, ll. 13-28 (“Content modifier 265 preferably modifies
`original content received by gateway computer 205, and produces
`modified content, which includes a layer of protection to combat
`dynamically generated malicious code.”).] Thus, Defendants argue
`that the claimed “content” received by the claimed “content
`
`12
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 13 of 21 PageID #: 5955
`
`processor” is necessarily modified content since the claims require
`it to “includ[e] a call to a first function.”
`
`[Defendants’] argument boils down to stating that the content must
`be modified because the first and second function[s] must be
`different. I have, however, already rejected that position.
`
`In addition, I note that near the end of prosecution, Finjan [amended]
`claim 2 to remove the reference to “modified” content, because there
`was no antecedent basis for “modified content.” [October 5, 2011
`Amendment and Response to Office Action at 138.] And claims of
`the ’289 Patent include an express requirement that the content is
`modified. [See, e.g., ’289 Patent at cl. 2 (“modifying the content”);
`id. at cl. 10 (“transmitting the modified content”).] The inclusion of
`this limitation in ’289 Patent claims confirms it should not be read
`into the claims of the ’154 Patent that do not include (and, in fact,
`removed) this limitation. [See Andersen Corp. v. Fiber Composites,
`LLC, 474 F.3d 1361, 1369 (Fed. Cir. 2007).]
`
`The sixth term is “a call to a first function” in claims 1, 4, 6, and 10
`of the ’154 Patent. Plaintiff originally asserted that it has its plain
`and ordinary meaning, which is “a call to a first function.”
`Defendants construe it to mean “a statement or instruction in the
`content, the execution of which causes the function to provide a
`service.” During the argument last week, Plaintiff agreed to
`Defendants’ proposed construction. I will
`thus adopt
`that
`construction.
`
`The seventh term is “executable wrapper code” and “wrapper
`executable code” in claims 1, 12, 22, 28, and 33 of the ’918 Patent.
`Plaintiff asserts this term should have its plain and ordinary
`meaning, that is, “code that wraps an executable.” Defendants assert
`the term means “standalone executable file including appropriate
`computer account instructions and the byte address of potentially
`malicious executable code to be embedded therein.”
`
`I will construe it to mean “executable code that wraps another
`executable.”
`
`This construction is supported by the claim language itself. The
`parties agree that the two iterations of this term, i.e., “executable
`wrapper code” and “wrapper executable code,” mean the same
`thing. The plain words of “wrapper executable code” refer to
`executable code that serves as a wrapper.
`
`13
`
`

`

`Case 1:18-cv-01519-MN Document 123 Filed 02/05/20 Page 14 of 21 PageID #: 5956
`
`This construction is also supported by the specification. The only
`reference to what this wrapper code is refers to it as an executable.
`The specification states: “CODE-B is preferably a standalone
`executable file, which includes appropriate computer instructions to
`initiate a new process using a specified user/group computer account
`name.” [’918 Patent at col. 7, ll. 63-66.] I recognize that that is in
`a preferred embodiment, but that embodiment refers to standalone
`executable code. I am not reading in standalone from the
`embodiment. But in light of the clear claim language, and the lack
`of embodiments in which the wrapper code is not executable, I will
`construe the term to mean “executable code that wraps another
`executable.”
`
`The eighth term is “computer account(s)” in claims 1, 12, 22, 28,
`and 33 of the ’918 Patent. Here again, Plaintiff asserts “plain and
`ordinary meaning, which is ‘computer account(s).’” Defendants
`assert that this term means “user accounts for logging in to a specific
`client computer.”
`
`Plaintiff asserts that the term is “a well-known term that people use
`every day” and, thus, there is no reason to depart from this plain and
`ordinary meaning in the absence of lexicography or a clear
`disclaimer. [See D.I. 76 at 68 (citing Thorner v. Sony Comput.
`Entm’t America LLC, 669 F.3d 1362, 1365-66 (Fed. Cir. 2012)).]
`
`Defendants assert that during prosecution, in the December 23, 2008
`Amendment, Plaintiff gave an express definition for this term in
`overcoming a prior art rejection. Specifically, the patentee stated
`that “the computer accounts of the claimed invention are user
`accounts for logging in to a specific client computer, such as the
`“system,” “restricted user” and “YBITZHAK” accounts. They then
`distinguished accounts in the prior art that were set up for “logging
`in to server computers.” [Id. at 22.]
`
`I do not read this language to be a definition that restricts the
`computer accounts to only one computer. And I do not find it to be
`a clear and unambiguous disavowal of accounts that may be
`available on different computers. Thus, I will give this term

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.

Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll get a whole lot more, including:

  • Up-to-date information for this case.
  • Email alerts whenever there is an update.
  • Full text search for other cases.
  • Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.

Become a Member

One Moment Please

The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.

Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.

Your document is on its way!

If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.

Sealed Document

We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.

If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket