UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
`WASHINGTON, D.C.
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`Investigation No. 337-TA-____
`Docket No. 3655
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`
`In the Matter of
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`CERTAIN LOCATION-SHARING
`SYSTEMS, RELATED SOFTWARE,
`COMPONENTS THEREOF, AND
`PRODUCTS CONTAINING THE SAME
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`
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`STATEMENT REQUESTING NON-INSTITUTION OF INVESTIGATION
`BY PROPOSED RESPONDENT CATERPILLAR INC.
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`

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`Pursuant to the Commission’s notice,1 soliciting comments about the Complaint, Proposed
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`Respondent Caterpillar Inc. (“Caterpillar”) respectfully requests that the Commission deny
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`institution of the Complaint filed by Complainants AGIS Software Development LLC and
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`Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc. (collectively, “AGIS”) as to Caterpillar. The
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`Complaint fails to sufficiently plead that Caterpillar has imported, sold for importation, or sold in
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`the United States after importation any allegedly infringing article. Caterpillar licenses the
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`“Caterpillar” brand to a third party—Bullitt Mobile Limited (“Bullitt”)—who makes, sells,
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`distributes, and is responsible for the accused “Cat phone” products. The “catphones.com” website
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`from which Complainant bought the Accused Product states that “Caterpillar Inc. is not in any way
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`involved in the design, manufacture, sale or distribution of these products.”2 Even the
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`Complainant’s own evidence shows that Caterpillar is not properly named here. Finally, other
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`courts have already addressed the relationship between Caterpillar and Bullitt and found that
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`Caterpillar is not responsible for Cat phones. Institution as to Caterpillar should be denied.
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`I.
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`Caterpillar Does Not Make, Sell, Distribute, or Import “Cat Phones”
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`The Commission should non-institute with respect to Caterpillar because the Complaint
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`fails to show that Caterpillar has imported, sold for importation, or sold in the United States after
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`importation any allegedly infringing article. Cf. 19 C.F.R. 210.12(a)(3), (a)(9)(viii) (requiring
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`a complaint to “[d]escribe specific instances of alleged unlawful importations. . .” and to
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`include a “showing that each person named. . . is importing or selling the article covered by. . . each
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`involved U.S. patent”); see also Certain Semiconductors and Devices and Products Containing
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`Same, Including Printed Circuit Boards, Automotive Parts, and Automobiles, 337-TA-1332, Letter
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`1 87 Fed. Reg. 72,509 (Nov. 25, 2022).
`2 Catphones website, Limited Warranty (Apr. 1, 2021),
`https://www.catphones.com/download/Warranty-Statements/Warranty%20Statement%20-
`%20English.pdf (emphasis added).
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`1
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`

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`from ITC to C. Lehman (Oct. 2022) (declining to institute investigation as to certain respondents
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`because “[t]he complaint, supplement, and exhibits . . . does not sufficiently describe the specific
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`instances of importation or sale for [those] respondents.”). The Commission regularly exercises this
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`authority to institute only portions of a requested investigation. See, e.g., Laerdal Med. Corp. v.
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`ITC, 910 F.3d 1207, 1215 (Fed. Cir. 2018) (“[T]he Commission ultimately declined institution as
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`to three of the four identified insufficiently pleaded allegations.”); Certain Stabilized Hull Units
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`& Components Thereof & Sonar Units Utilizing Said Stabilized Hull Units, Inv. No. 337-TA-103,
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`Order No. 5, 1981 WL 178568, at *3 (Aug. 13, 1981).
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`Caterpillar does not make, import, distribute, or sell the accused Cat phone or other Cat
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`phones. A third party, Bullitt, makes, sells, and distributes the phone. Bullitt is not owned, operated
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`by, or affiliated with Caterpillar. Caterpillar merely licenses Bullitt to use certain Caterpillar
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`trademarks and branding.3 This relationship is emphasized on the website from which Complainant
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`purchased the phone: “catphones.com.” See Complaint Ex. 117. The warranty page states:
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`The products subject to these terms and conditions are manufactured,
`sold, and distributed by Bullitt Mobile Limited under a trademark
`(branding) license from Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar Inc. is not in any
`way involved in the design, manufacture, sale or distribution of these
`products, and is therefore not in any way responsible for product defects
`or other issues pertaining to the products or their functionality.4
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`At the bottom of the main page for catphones.com, it again states that “trade dress as well as
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`corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without
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`permission,” and “Bullitt Mobile Ltd a licensee of Caterpillar Inc.”5
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`Clicking on the “legal” link of catphones.com further reiterates that Bullitt, not Caterpillar,
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`3 Consistent with Caterpillar’s ownership of its trademark rights, Caterpillar owns the domain
`name “catphones.com,” but Bullitt, not Caterpillar, creates and operates the website.
`4 Catphones website, Limited Warranty, supra note 2.
`5 Catphones website, Main Page, https://www.catphones.com/en-us/
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`2
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`is responsible for Cat phones. It provides “Terms & Conditions,” which if expanded provide
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`“COMPANY DETAILS,” listing Bullitt’s name and address:
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`Bullitt MOBILE LIMITED
`ADDRESS: ONE VALPY, VALPY STREET, READING, ENGLAND, RG1 1AR
`COMPANY ID NUMBER: 06945690
`VAT NUMBER: GB 208035440
`FORM: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY6
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`Next, the “legal” portion provides a “Privacy Policy,” which explains who makes, sells, and
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`distributes Cat phones: “Bullitt Mobile Limited designs, manufactures, markets and sells mobile
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`devices under license from global brands.”7 The website of Bullitt also shows that they are
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`responsible for Cat phones: “Cat phones (made by UK based company Bullitt Group) are designed
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`specifically to be rugged.”8
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`II.
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`Complainant’s Evidence Shows that Caterpillar Is Not Responsible for “Cat Phones”
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`Complainant’s own evidence shows that Caterpillar is not responsible for Cat phones. The
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`Complaint incorrectly states that “[l]abels on the product state the product was made by Caterpillar,”
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`citing “Exhibit 115.” Complaint ¶ 129. But Exhibit 115 nowhere states that Caterpillar “made” the
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`phone. Instead, it states “Made in PRC” alongside www.catphones.com, listing “Bullitt Mobile Ltd.”
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`who “is a licensee of Caterpillar Inc.”
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`The other evidence fares no better. The Complaint cites an invoice for its phone purchase.
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`See Complaint Ex. 114. But the invoice lists Bullitt’s address (compare supra), not Caterpillar’s.
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`6 Catphones website, Terms & Conditions, https://www.catphones.com/en-us/legal/terms-
`conditions/
`7 See Catphones website, Privacy Policy, https://www.catphones.com/en-us/legal/privacy-policy/
`8 See Bullitt Group website, https://bullitt-group.com/cat-phones-lift-the-lid-on-rugged-to-the-
`core/; see also Catphones website, S62 Instruction Manual at 44 (2020),
`https://www.catphones.com/download/User-Manuals/Cat-S62-Pro-
`Smartphone/S62%20Pro_User_Manual_EN_V4_English.pdf (listing “Bullitt Mobile Limited” as
`the “Manufacturer”).
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`3
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`Id. Finally, Complainant provides a shipping label (Ex. 116) and an invoice (Ex. 117) that point to
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`“catphones.com.” As noted above, this website repeatedly states that Bullitt Mobile, not
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`Caterpillar, is responsible for making, selling, and distributing Cat phones.
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`The Complaint’s evidence does not support the conclusion that Caterpillar makes, imports,
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`sells after importation, or distributes Cat phones. As the Federal Circuit explained, before
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`institution “the Commission must have already ensured that the complaint sufficiently pleaded a
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`statutory violation.” Laerdal Med. Corp., 910 F.3d at 1213 (emphasis added); see also id. at 1215
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`(“While the Commission contends that [complainant] did not properly plead a § 1337 violation in
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`the complaint, the time for that assessment was pre-institution.”).
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`III. Courts Have Found that Caterpillar Is Not Responsible for “Cat Phones”
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`Other courts have dismissed actions against Caterpillar because it does not make, sell, or
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`import Cat phones. In Blue Spike LLC v. Caterpillar Inc., the Plaintiff sued Caterpillar for patent
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`infringement based on the “Cat phone.” Blue Spike LLC v. Caterpillar Inc., No. 6:16-CV-1361
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`RWS-JDL, 2017 WL 1829858, at *2 (E.D. Tex. May 8, 2017). Caterpillar submitted two sworn
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`and unrebutted declarations from Caterpillar Senior Corporate Counsel Jamie Skinner and Bullitt
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`Group Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Corbett. Id. The declarations stated
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`that
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`“Caterpillar's involvement in selling the accused Cat Phones is limited to being a trademark
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`licensor and that Bullitt Group designs and markets Cat Phones, including by operating the
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`catphones.com website.” Id. The judge found no evidence creating an issue of material fact that
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`“Bullitt acted as an agent of Caterpillar” or that “Caterpillar made, used, sold, offered to sell or
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`imported the accused products.” Id. As a result, the court dismissed the actions with prejudice
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`against Caterpillar and entered final judgement. Id. The court went further and noted that the
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`magistrate judge had “found that Rule 11(b)(3) sanctions may be appropriate in this case and,
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`accordingly, ordered Blue Spike to show cause as to why it should not be sanctioned for filing and
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`4
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`

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`maintaining a frivolous lawsuit against Caterpillar.” Id.
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`In a subsequent action involving a different plaintiff, the district of Delaware similarly
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`dismissed a patent infringement claim against Caterpillar over Cat phones. See Altair Logix LLC
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`v. Caterpillar Inc., No. CV 18-2057 (MN), 2019 WL 3219485, at *2 (D. Del. July 17, 2019).
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`Caterpillar moved for attorney fees. Id. While the court ultimately denied the fees, it noted:
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`In the Court's view, Plaintiff and its counsel performed a sloppy pre-
`suit investigation, to say the least. There apparently were several
`sources of information that indicated that [Caterpillar] was not the
`proper party in the present action – e.g., product inserts with the
`accused CAT S41 phone, Wikipedia, etc. (See D.I. 20 ¶¶ 6, 8-9). In
`fact, the issue of which entity manufactures and sells CAT phones
`was previously adjudicated . . . in the Eastern District of Texas.
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`Id. At *3. And Complainant’s counsel filed pleadings in another case stating that Bullitt Group
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`Limited manufactures, sells, and imports Cat Phones, including the exact model, the CAT S62 Pro,
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`that Complainant identified in this investigation.9 The findings and statements in these cases
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`further show that Caterpillar has not imported into, sold for importation into, or sold in the United
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`States after importation Cat phones.
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`Date: December 5, 2022
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`/s/ Daniel C. Cooley
`Daniel C. Cooley
`Mareesa A. Frederick
`FINNEGAN, HENDERSON, FARABOW,
` GARRETT & DUNNER, L.L.P.
`901 New York Avenue, N.W.
`Washington, D.C. 20001
`Telephone: (202) 408-4000
`Facsimile: (202) 408-4400
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`Counsel for Caterpillar Inc.
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`9 Longhorn HD LLC. v. Bullitt Group Ltd., No. 2-22-cv-00068, D.I. 1 ¶ 2, 10 (EDTX 2022).
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`5
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`CERTAIN LOCATION-SHARING SYSTEMS,
`RELATED SOFTWARE, COMPONENTS THEREOF,
`AND PRODUCTS CONTAINING THE SAME
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`Inv. No. 337-TA-
`Docket No. 3655
`
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`I, Isabella P. Downey, hereby certify that on December 5, 2022, copies of the foregoing were
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`filed with and served upon the following as indicated:
`
`
`The Honorable Katherine M. Hiner
`Acting Secretary to the Commission
`U.S. International Trade Commission
`500 E Street, SW, Suite 112
`Washington, DC 20436
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`Counsel for Complainants AGIS Software Development LLC and
`Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc.
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`Evan J. Langdon
`FABRICANT LLP
`1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 300
`Washington, DC 20004
`Telephone: (202) 507-4899
`E-mail: Agis_ITC@fabricantllp.com
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`Google LLC
`1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
`Mountain View, CA 94043
`Telephone: (650) 253-0000
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`Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd.
`12 Samsung-Ro
`Maetan-3dong, Yeongtong-gu
`Suwon, 443-742, South Korea
`Telephone: (822) 225-0114
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`Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
`85 Challenger Rd.
`Ridgefield Park, New Jersey 07660
`Telephone: (201) 229-4000
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`OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
`18F, Tairan Building, Block C
`Tairan 8th Road
`Chgongmiao, Futian District
`Shenzhen, Guangdong 518040, China
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`1
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`

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`TCL Technology Group Corporation
`22/F, TCL Technology Building, No. 17
`Huifeng 3rd Road
`Zhongkai High-Tech Development District
`Huizhou, Guangdong, China 516006
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`TCL Electronics Holdings Limited
`7th Floor, Building 22E
`22 Science Park East Avenue
`Hong Kong Science Park
`Hong Kong
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`TCL Communication Technology Holdings
`Limited
`5/F, Building 22E,
`22 Science Park East Avenue
`Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin,
`New Territories, Hong Kong
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`TCT Mobile (US) Inc.
`25 Edelman, Suite 200
`Irvine, CA 92618
`Telephone: (949) 892-2990
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`Lenovo Group Ltd.
`6 Chuang ye Road, Haidian District
`Beijing 100085, China
`Telephone: (852) 2590-0228
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`Lenovo (United States) Inc.
`1009 Think Place, Building One
`Morrisville, NC 27560
`Telephone: (855) 253-6686
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`Motorola Mobility LLC
`222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1800
`Chicago, IL 60654
`Telephone: (800) 668-6765
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` Via EDIS
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`

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`HMD Global
`Karaportti 2, FIN-02610
`Espoo, Finland
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`HMD Global OY
`Bertel Jungin aukio 9, 02600
`Espoo, Finland
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`HMD America, Inc.
`1200 Brickell Ave., Suite 510
`Miami, FL 33131
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`Sony Corporation
`1-7-1 Konan Minato-ku
`Tokyo, 108-0075, Japan
`Telephone: 81-3-6748-2111
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`Sony Mobile Communications, Inc.
`4-12-3 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku
`Tokyo, 140-0002, Japan
`Telephone: (855) 806-8464
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`ASUSTek Computer Inc.
`No. 15, Li-Te Rd.
`Beitou Dist., Taipei 112, Taiwan
`Telephone: (866) 2-2894-3447
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`ASUS Computer International
`48720 Kato Rd.
`Fremont, CA 94538
`Telephone: (510) 739-3777
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`3
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
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` Via EDIS
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
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`BLU Products
`10814 NW 33rd Street
`Doral, FL 33172
`Telephone: (877) 639-6393
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`Panasonic Corporation
`1006 Oaza Kadoma-shi
`Kadoma 571-8501
`Osaka, Japan
`Phone: +81-6-6908-1121
`Fax: +81-6-6908-2351
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`Panasonic Corporation of North America
`1 Panasonic Way
`Secaucus, New Jersey 07094
`Phone: (201) 348-7000
`Fax: (201) 348-7016
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`Kyocera Corporation
`6 Takeda Tobadono-cho, Fushmi-ku
`Kyoto, Japan 612-8501
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`Xiaomi Corporation
`Maples Corporate Services Limited
`P.O. Box 309
`Ugland House
`Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands
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`Xiaomi H.K. Ltd.
`Unit 806, Tower 2 8/F
`Cheung Sha Wan Plaza
`833 Cheung Sha Wan Road
`Kowloon City, Hong Kong
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`Xiaomi Communications Co., Ltd.
`Xiaomi Office Building
`68 Qinghe Middle Street
`Haidian District
`Beijing, China 100085
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`Xiaomi Inc.
`Xiaomi Office Building
`68 Qinghe Middle Street
`Haidian District
`Beijing, China 100085
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
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` Via FedEx Mail
` Via Hand Delivery
`Via Overnight Courier
` Via Electronic Mail
` Via EDIS
`
`/s/ Isabella P. Downey
`Isabella P. Downey
`Senior Litigation Legal Assistant
`FINNEGAN, HENDERSON, FARABOW,
` GARRETT & DUNNER, L.L.P.
`901 New York Avenue, NW
`Washington, DC 20001
`(202) 408-4000 (Telephone)
`(202) 408-4400 (Facsimile)
`isabella.downey@finnegan.com
`
`5
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