`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`EXPEDIA, INC., FANDANGO, LLC, HOTEL TONIGHT INC., HOTWIRE,
`INC., HOTELS.COM, L.P., KAYAK SOFTWARE CORP., LIVE NATION
`ENTERTAINMENT, INC., MICROS SYSTEMS, INC., ORBITZ, LLC,
`OPENTABLE, INC., PAPA JOHN’S USA, INC., STUBHUB, INC.,
`TICKETMASTER, LLC, TRAVELOCITY.COM LP, WANDERSPOT LLC,
`PIZZA HUT, INC., PIZZA HUT OF AMERICA, INC., DOMINO’S PIZZA,
`INC., DOMINO’S PIZZA, LLC, GRUBHUB, INC., SEAMLESS NORTH
`AMERICA, LLC, ORDR.IN, INC., MOBO SYSTEMS, INC., STARBUCKS
`CORPORATION, EVENTBRITE, INC., BEST WESTERN
`INTERNATIONAL, INC., HILTON RESORTS CORP., HILTON
`WORLDWIDE, INC., HILTON INTERNATIONAL CO., HYATT
`CORPORATION, MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC., STARWOOD
`HOTELS & RESORTS WORLDWIDE, INC., AGILYSYS, INC.,
`USABLENET, INC., AND APPLE INC.
`
`Petitioners
`
`v.
`
`AMERANTH, INC.
`
`Patent Owner
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325
`Issue date: March 22, 2005
`
`Title: Information Management and Synchronous Communications System
`with Menu Generation
`
`CBM2014-00016
`
`AMENDED PETITION FOR COVERED BUSINESS METHOD REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325 UNDER 35 U.S.C. § 321
`AND § 18 OF THE LEAHY-SMITH AMERICA INVENTS ACT
`
`
`This Amended Petition addresses the defect found in the Notice dated October 23,
`2013. In accordance with the Notice, the Claim Construction section has been
`updated to further identify how the challenged claims are to be construed. No
`substantive changes have been made to the contents of the petition.
`
`
`
`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
`
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`I.
`
`II.
`
`B.
`
`B.
`
`INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1
`The Challenged Claims Fail to Satisfy the Written Description
`A.
`and Definiteness Requirement of § 112 ............................................... 5
`The Challenged Claims Fail to Claim Patentable Subject Matter
`under § 101 ........................................................................................... 8
`REQUIRED DISCLOSURES ...................................................................... 10
`A. Mandatory Notices ............................................................................. 10
`1.
`Real Parties-in-Interest (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(1)) ..................... 10
`2.
`Related Matters (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(2)) ................................ 12
`3.
`Lead and Back-Up Counsel (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(3)) ............. 17
`4.
`Service Information (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(4)) .......................... 19
`Filing Date Requirements ................................................................... 20
`1.
`Compliance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.304 ...................................... 21
`2.
`Certificate of Service on Patent Owner (37 C.F.R. §
`42.205(a)) ................................................................................. 21
`The Filing Fee (37 C.F.R. §§ 42.15(b) and 42.203(a)) ............ 21
`3.
`C. Additional Disclosures ....................................................................... 22
`At Least One Challenged Claim Is Unpatentable (37
`1.
`C.F.R. § 42.208(c)) .................................................................. 22
`Eligibility Based on Time of Filing (37 C.F.R. § 42.303) ....... 22
`
`2.
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
`
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`3.
`4.
`
`Power of Attorney (37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b)) ............................... 22
`A Legible Copy of Every Exhibit in the Exhibit List (37
`C.F.R. § 42.63) ......................................................................... 22
`III. GROUNDS FOR STANDING ..................................................................... 23
`A.
`Eligibility Based on Infringement Suit (37 C.F.R. § 42.302(a)) ........ 23
`B.
`Eligibility Based on Lack of Estoppel (37 C.F.R. § 42.302(b)) ........ 24
`C.
`The ‘325 Patent Is a CBM Patent (37 C.F.R. § 42.304(a)) ................ 25
`1.
`Claims 1-15 Meet the Definition of a CBM ............................ 26
`2.
`Claims 1-15 Are Not Directed to a “Technological
`Invention” ................................................................................. 30
`IV. STATEMENT OF PRECISE RELIEF REQUESTED FOR EACH
`CLAIM CHALLENGED ............................................................................. 37
`Claims for Which Review
`is Requested (37 C.F.R. §
`A.
`42.304(b)(1)) ...................................................................................... 37
`Statutory Grounds of Challenge (37 C.F.R. § 42.304(b)(2)) ............. 38
`Claim Construction (37 C.F.R. § 42.304(b)(3)) ................................. 38
`1.
`Broadest Reasonable Interpretation ......................................... 38
`THE CHALLENGED CLAIMS ARE INVALID UNDER § 112 ............... 41
`The Challenged Claims Do Not Satisfy the Written Description
`A.
`Requirement. ...................................................................................... 41
`
`B.
`C.
`
`V.
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
`
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`The ‘325 Patent Does Not Provide a Written Description
`Sufficient to Describe the Later Presented Continuation
`Claims Directed to a “Synchronous Communications
`System” When Only Use of a Local Database is
`Described In the Original Specification ................................... 43
`Claims 8-9 Fail to Satisfy the Written Description
`Requirement ............................................................................. 49
`The Challenged Claims Are Indefinite for Mixing Apparatus
`and Method Elements ......................................................................... 53
`Claims 11-15 Are Indefinite ............................................................... 57
`C.
`VI. THE CHALLENGED CLAIMS ARE INVALID UNDER § 101 ............... 59
`A.
`Section 101 Analysis .......................................................................... 59
`B.
`The Challenged Claims Impermissibly Claim An Abstract Idea ....... 62
`C.
`The Challenged Claims Also Fail
`the “Machine or
`Transformation Test” ......................................................................... 72
`The Challenged Claims Are Invalid Under Mayo ............................. 76
`D.
`VII. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 79
`
`
`B.
`
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
`
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`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`CASES
`
`Accenture Global Services, GMBH v. Guidewire Software, Inc.,
`No. 2011-1486, 2013 WL 4749919 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 5, 2013) ........................ 9, 79
`
`Ameranth, Inc. v. Menusoft Sys. Corp.,
`No. 2:07-CV-271, 2010 WL 4952758 (E.D. Tex. Sept. 20, 2010) ........................ 3
`
`Amgen Inc. v. Hoechst Marion Roussel, Inc.,
`314 F.3d 1313 (Fed. Cir. 2003) ............................................................................ 48
`
`Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Eli Lilly and Co.,
`598 F.3d 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (en banc) ............................................................ 42
`
`Athletic Alternatives, Inc. v. Prince Manufacturing, Inc.,
`73 F.3d 1573 (Fed. Cir. 1996) .............................................................................. 58
`
`Bancorp Services, LLC v. Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada,
`687 F.3d 1266 (Fed. Cir. 2012) ......................................................... 64, 66, 68, 72
`
`Bilski v. Kappos,
`130 S. Ct. 3218 (2010) ................................................................................. passim
`
`CCS Fitness, Inc. v. Brunswick Corp.,
`288 F.3d 1359 (Fed. Cir. 2002) ............................................................................ 52
`
`CLS Bank International v. Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd.,
`717 F.3d 1269 (Fed. Cir. 2013) (en banc) ......................................... 59, 62, 67, 71
`
`Compression Technology Solutions LLC v. EMC Corp.,
`2013 WL 2368039 (N.D. Cal. May 29, 2013) ........................................ 59, 60, 75
`
`CyberSource Corp. v Retail Decisions, Inc.,
`654 F.3d 1366 (Fed. Cir. 2011) .................................................................... passim
`
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
`
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`Datamize, L.L.C. v. Plumtree Software, Inc.,
`417 F.3d 1342 (Fed. Cir. 2005) ............................................................................ 58
`
`Dealertrack, Inc. v. Huber,
`674 F.3d 1315 (Fed. Cir. 2012) ......................................................... 60, 67, 73, 74
`
`Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175 (1981) ............................................................. 8, 61
`
`Fort Properties, Inc. v. American Master Lease LLC,
`671 F.3d 1317 (Fed. Cir. 2012) ..................................................................... 61, 66
`
`Gottschalk v. Benson, 409 U.S. 63 (1972) .......................................................... 8, 74
`
`Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. v. M-I, LLC,
`514 F.3d 1244 (Fed. Cir. 2008) ............................................................................ 57
`
`Hyatt v. Boone,
`146 F.3d 1348 (Fed. Cir. 1998) ............................................................................ 42
`
`ICU Medical, Inc. v. Alaris Medical Systems, Inc.,
`558 F.3d 1368 (Fed. Cir. 2009) ............................................................................ 43
`
`In re American Academy of Science Tech Center,
`367 F.3d 1359 (Fed. Cir. 2004) ............................................................................ 38
`
`In re Bilski,
`545 F.3d 943 (Fed. Cir. 2008) (en banc) ....................................................... 73, 76
`
`In re Katz Interactive Call Processing Patent Litigation,
`639 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2011) ..................................................................... 55, 56
`
`In re Trans Texas Holdings Corp.,
`498 F.3d 1290 (Fed. Cir. 2007) ............................................................................ 39
`
`In re Zletz,
`893 F.2d 319 (Fed. Cir. 1989) .............................................................................. 38
`
`
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
`
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`Interthinx, Inc. v. Corelogic Solutions, LLC,
`No. CBM2012-00007 (P.T.A.B. Jan. 31, 2013) ................................................... 34
`
`IPXL Holdings, LLC v. Amazon.com, Inc.,
`430 F.3d 1377 (Fed. Cir. 2005) ........................................................... 5, 53, 54, 55
`
`LizardTech v. Earth Resource Mapping, Inc.,
`424 F.3d 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2005) ............................................................................ 48
`
`Lockwood v. American Airlines, Inc.,
`107 F.3d 1565 (Fed. Cir. 1997) ............................................................................ 43
`
`Mayo Collaboration Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc.,
`132 S. Ct. 1289 (2012) ................................................................................. passim
`
`Morton International, Inc. v. Cardinal Chemical Co.,
`5 F.3d 1464 (Fed. Cir. 1993) ................................................................................ 57
`
`PowerOasis, Inc. v. T-Mobile USA, Inc.,
`522 F.3d 1299 (Fed. Cir. 2008) ............................................................................ 49
`
`Rembrandt Data Technologies, LP v. AOL, LLC,
`641 F.3d 1331 (Fed. Cir. 2011) ............................................................................ 53
`
`Research Corp. Technologies, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp.,
`627 F.3d 859 (Fed. Cir. 2010) .............................................................................. 60
`
`SAP America, Inc. v. Versata Development Group,
`No. CBM2012-0001 (P.T.A.B. Jan. 09, 2013) ..................................................... 26
`
`SAP America, Inc. v. Versata Development Group,
`No. CBM2012-0001 (P.T.A.B. June 11, 2013) .................................................... 61
`
`SiRF Technology, Inc. v. International Trade Commission,
`601 F.3d 1319 (Fed. Cir. 2010) ..................................................................... 62, 66
`
`Tronzo v. Biomet, Inc.,
`156 F.3d 1154 (Fed. Cir. 1998) ..................................................................... 42, 48
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`Ultramercial, Inc. v. Hulu, LLC,
`722 F.3d 1335 (Fed. Cir. 2013) ............................................................................ 78
`
`Uniloc USA, Inc. v. Rackspace Hosting, Inc.,
`6:12-cv-00375, Dkt. No. 38, slip op. (E.D. Tex. Mar. 27, 2012) ......................... 68
`
`Vacation Exchange LLC v. Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, Inc.,
`No. 2:12-cv-04229, Dkt. No. 27, slip op. (C.D. Cal. Sept. 18, 2012) .................. 68
`
`Vas-Cath Inc. v. Mahurkar,
`935 F.2d 1555 (Fed. Cir. 1991) ..................................................................... 43, 48
`
`STATUTES
`
`35 U.S.C. § 101 ................................................................................................ passim
`
`35 U.S.C. § 112 ................................................................................................ passim
`
`35 U.S.C. § 119 ........................................................................................................ 42
`
`35 U.S.C. § 120 ........................................................................................................ 42
`
`35 U.S.C. § 321 ............................................................................................. 1, 22, 37
`
`35 U.S.C. § 324 ........................................................................................................ 22
`
`35 U.S.C. § 365 ........................................................................................................ 42
`
`AIA § 18 ........................................................................................................... passim
`
`OTHER AUTHORITIES
`
`157 Cong. Rec. S1360 (March 8, 2011) ............................................... 26, 28, 29, 32
`
`77 Fed. Reg. 157 .............................................................................................. passim
`
`M.P.E.P. § 2163 ................................................................................................ 42, 48
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
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`M.P.E.P. § 2163.02 .................................................................................................. 42
`
`M.P.E.P. § 2173.05 ............................................................................................. 5, 53
`
`Matal, J., A Guide to the Legislative History of the America Invents Act Part II of
`II, 21 Fed. Cir. Bar. J. No. 4 ................................................................................. 27
`
`MICROSOFT® PRESS COMPUTER DICTIONARY (4th ed. 1999) 40, 41, 51, 52
`
`RULES
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.10 ..................................................................................................... 22
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.15 ..................................................................................................... 21
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.203 ................................................................................................... 21
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.205 ................................................................................................... 21
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.206 ................................................................................................... 20
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.208 ................................................................................................... 22
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.300 ................................................................................................... 38
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.301 ...................................................................................... 25, 30, 31
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.302 ............................................................................................ 23, 24
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.303 ................................................................................................... 22
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.304 ........................................................................................... passim
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.6 ....................................................................................................... 21
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.63 .............................................................................................. 22, 23
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.8 .................................................................................... 10, 12, 17, 19
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
`
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`PETITIONERS’ MASTER LIST OF EXHIBITS
`
`DESCRIPTION (BOLDED IF USED)
`EXHIBIT NO.
`FANDANGO 1001* U.S. Patent No. 8,146,077
`FANDANGO 1002* Litigation Report on U.S. Patent No. 8,146,077
`FANDANGO 1003* Ameranth August 15, 2011 Press Release
`FANDANGO 1004 Ameranth July 2, 2012 Press Release
`FANDANGO 1005* Litigation Report on U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850
`FANDANGO 1006 Ameranth, Inc. v. Menusoft Sys. Corp., et al., No. 2:07-
`CV-271, 2010 WL 4952758, at 1-2 (E.D. Tex. Sept. 20,
`2010)
`FANDANGO 1007 Menusoft, ECF No. 331
`FANDANGO 1008 Eventbrite Complaint
`FANDANGO 1009*
`‘077 Notice of Allowability Examiner’s Amendment
`FANDANGO 1010*
`‘077 Aug. 21, 2009 Reply & Amendment
`FANDANGO 1011 Certificate of Service
`FANDANGO 1012 Powers of Attorney
`FANDANGO 1013 Kayak Complaint
`FANDANGO 1014 Hotels.com Complaint
`FANDANGO 1015 Orbitz Complaint
`FANDANGO 1016 Hotel Tonight Complaint
`FANDANGO 1017 Travelocity Complaint
`FANDANGO 1018 Expedia Complaint
`FANDANGO 1019 Hotwire Complaint
`FANDANGO 1020 Wanderspot First Amended Complaint
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`DESCRIPTION (BOLDED IF USED)
`EXHIBIT NO.
`FANDANGO 1021 Micros First Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1022 Fandango Complaint
`FANDANGO 1023 StubHub Complaint
`FANDANGO 1024 Ticketmaster and Live Nation Complaint
`FANDANGO 1025 OpenTable’s Second Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1026 77 Fed. Reg. 157, pp. 48734 - 48753
`FANDANGO 1027 77 Fed. Reg. 157, pp. 48680 - 48732
`FANDANGO 1028 SAP America, Inc. v. Versata Development Grp., Inc.,
`CBM2012-00001, Paper No. 36 (P.T.A.B. January 9,
`2013)
`FANDANGO 1029 Matal, J., A Guide to the Legislative History of the
`America Invents Act: Part II of II, 21 Fed. Cir. Bar. J.
`No. 4
`FANDANGO 1030 77 Fed. Reg. 157, pp. 48756 - 48773
`FANDANGO 1031* U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850
`FANDANGO 1032 U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325
`FANDANGO 1033* U.S. Patent No. 6,982,733
`FANDANGO 1034 Petitioners’ Address List
`FANDANGO 1035
`‘850 Office Action of May 22, 2001 at 2-3
`Interthinx, Inc. v. Corelogic Solutions, LLC, No.
`FANDANGO 1036
`CBM2012-00007 (BJM), Paper 16 at 18 (P.T.A.B.
`Jan. 31, 2013)
`FANDANGO 1037 Menusoft ECF No. 235
`FANDANGO 1038 Opentable First Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1039* Papa John’s II Complaint
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`
`DESCRIPTION (BOLDED IF USED)
`EXHIBIT NO.
`FANDANGO 1040* Litigation Report on U.S. Patent No. 6,982,733
`FANDANGO 1041 Litigation Report on U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325
`FANDANGO 1042 Larson Declaration (including Exhibits A-B)
`FANDANGO 1043 157 Cong. Rec. S1360-1394
`FANDANGO 1044 Apple Complaint
`FANDANGO 1045 Domino’s Third Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1046* Ameranth’s Infringement Contentions to Fandango
`FANDANGO 1047* Ameranth’s Infringement Contentions to StubHub
`FANDANGO 1048 Ameranth’s Infringement Contentions to Micros
`Systems
`FANDANGO 1049 Agilysys Complaint
`FANDANGO 1050 Best Western Complaint
`FANDANGO 1051* Grubhub First Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1052 Hilton First Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1053 Hyatt First Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1054 Marriott Complaint
`FANDANGO 1055 Mobo Systems Complaint
`FANDANGO 1056 Ordr.in Complaint
`FANDANGO 1057* Pizza Hut Complaint
`FANDANGO 1058* Seamless First Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1059 Starbucks Complaint
`FANDANGO 1060 Starwood First Amended Complaint
`FANDANGO 1061 Usablenet First Amended Complaint
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
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`DESCRIPTION (BOLDED IF USED)
`EXHIBIT NO.
`FANDANGO 1062 NOT USED
`FANDANGO 1063 SAP America, Inc. v. Versata Development Grp., Inc.,
`CBM2012-00001, Paper No. 70 (P.T.A.B. June 11,
`2013)
`FANDANGO 1064 Vacation Exch. LLC v. Wyndham Exch. & Rentals,
`Inc., No. 2:12-cv-04229, Dkt. No. 27 (C.D. Cal. Sept.
`18, 2012)
`FANDANGO 1065 Uniloc USA, Inc. v. Rackspace Hosting, Inc., 6:12-cv-
`00375, Dkt. No. 38 (E.D. Tex. Mar. 27, 2012)
`* Denotes exhibits not cited in and not filed with this petition.
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`INTRODUCTION
`
`I.
`Ameranth, Inc. (“Ameranth”) has instituted patent infringement cases
`
`against Petitioners. Under 35 U.S.C. § 321 and § 18 of the Leahy-Smith America
`
`Invents Act, Petitioners request a Covered Business Method (CBM) post-grant
`
`review of U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325 (the “ ‘325 Patent”). In particular, Petitioners
`
`request a cancellation of Claims 1-15 of the ‘325 Patent (“Challenged Claims”) as
`
`unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. §§ 101 and 112.
`
`The ‘325 Patent was originally filed on November 1, 2001 as U.S. Patent
`
`Application No. 10/015,729 (“‘729 Application”). The ‘729 Application is a
`
`continuation of U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850 (“ ‘850 Patent”). A certificate of
`
`correction issued on April 17, 2007.
`
`Ameranth has filed 40 different patent infringement actions alleging
`
`infringement of the ‘325 Patent by no less than four different and distinct
`
`industries.1 The claimed subject matter of the ‘325 Patent is directed to activities
`
`
`1 See Exhibit 1041, Litigation Report on U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325; Exhibit
`
`1004, Ameranth July 2, 2012 Press Release (announcing actions against (1) “hotel
`
`chains;” (2) on-line “travel aggregators;” (3) on-line “ticketing companies;” and
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`in the hospitality industry, e.g., restaurant ordering, reservations and wait-list
`
`management, and is financial in nature. Claims 1-10 are directed to information
`
`management and synchronous communications systems for generating and
`
`transmitting menus for restaurant and other applications in the hospitality industry.
`
`Claims 11-15 are directed
`
`to
`
`information management and synchronous
`
`communications systems for use with wireless handheld computing devices and
`
`the internet based on hospitality applications and data in in the hospitality industry,
`
`e.g., restaurant ordering, reservations and wait-list management. See, e.g., Exhibit
`
`1032, ‘325 Patent, Claim 4 (“customer ordering via internet”); Claim 6 (“customer
`
`ordering via wireless device”). For example, Ameranth states that hospitality
`
`information technology systems performing functions such as “online/mobile
`
`ordering, hotel/restaurant reservations, event ticketing, payment processing/mobile
`
`wallets on smart phones, frequency, voice integration and related functionality”
`
`require the use of Ameranth’s “patented inventions for synchronized operations.”
`
`Exhibit 1004, Ameranth’s July 2, 2012 Press Release at 2. Therefore, the ‘325
`
`
`(4) “restaurant point of sale, and/or reservations, and/or online/mobile ordering
`
`companies.”).
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`Patent covers a “financial product or service” as a covered business method patent
`
`under AIA Section 18.
`
`While Ameranth currently asserts the ‘325 Patent against Petitioners, this is
`
`not the first time Ameranth has litigated the ‘325 Patent. On June 28, 2007,
`
`Ameranth sued Menusoft Systems Corporation and Cash Register Sales & Service
`
`of Houston, Inc. (collectively, “Menusoft”) in the Eastern District of Texas for
`
`alleged infringement of the ‘850,2 ‘325, and ‘7333 Patents (“Menusoft Action”).
`
`The Menusoft Action proceeded to a trial in which the jury found that all asserted
`
`claims were invalid for anticipation and obviousness. See Exhibit 1006, Ameranth,
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`Inc. v. Menusoft Sys. Corp., No. 2:07-CV-271, 2010 WL 4952758, at *2 (E.D. Tex.
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`Sept. 20, 2010) (finding invalidity of claims 1 and 4 of the ‘850 Patent, claims 6, 9,
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`2 U.S. Patent. No. 6,384,850 (“’850 Patent”) is the parent application to the
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`‘325 Patent. Petitioners are contemporaneously filing a covered business method
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`review petition on the ‘850 Patent.
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`3 U.S. Patent No. 6,982,733 (“’733 Patent”) is a continuation-in-part of the
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`’850 Patent. Petitioners are contemporaneously filing a covered business method
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`review petition on the ‘733 Patent.
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`and 10 of the ‘325 Patent, and claims 1 and 3 of the ‘733 Patent). While only
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`certain of the Challenged Claims were at issue in the Menusoft Action, and the
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`invalidity verdict was ultimately vacated as a result of settlement,4 the jury
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`correctly determined that the asserted claims were invalid.
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`In addition, the claimed subject matter of Claims 1-15 of the ‘325 Patent as a
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`whole fails to recite a technological feature that is novel and unobvious over the
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`prior art and fails to solve a technical problem using a technical solution. As such,
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`the ‘325 Patent is not a patent for technological inventions. Therefore, the ‘325
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`Patent is a covered business method patent under AIA Section 18 and is eligible
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`for the CBM review.
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`As shown by the facts and analysis in this Petition, Claims 1-15 of the ‘325
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`Patent as a covered business method patent are unpatentable under 35 U.S.C.
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`§§ 101 and 112 and must be canceled.
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`4 The parties in the Menusoft Action reached a settlement wherein Menusoft
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`agreed not to oppose vacatur of the invalidity determinations in the final judgment.
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`Exhibit 1007, Menusoft Motion for Indicative Ruling, ECF No. 331.
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`A. The Challenged Claims Fail to Satisfy the Written
`Description and Definiteness Requirements of § 112
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`Claims 1-15 of the ‘325 Patent fail to satisfy requirements under 35 U.S.C.
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`§ 112, including the written description and definiteness requirements, and are
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`therefore invalid.
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`First, Claims 1-15 are indefinite because they recite systems including a
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`method step. For example, independent Claim 1 of the ‘325 Patent is directed to
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`an “information and synchronous communications system,” but also recites a
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`method step: “said parameters being selected from the modifier and submodifier
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`menus.” As yet another example, Claim 13 is directed to a system but recites a
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`method step in which “application and data are synchronized between the central
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`database, at least one wireless handheld computing device, at least one Web server
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`and at least one Web page.”
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`When, as here, “a single claim [] claims both an apparatus and the method
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`steps of using the apparatus, [the claim] is indefinite under 35 U.S.C. 112, second
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`paragraph.” See IPXL Holdings, LLC v. Amazon.com, Inc., 430 F.3d 1377, 1384
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`(Fed. Cir. 2005) (citing M.P.E.P. § 2173.05(p)(II)). Because they claim a system
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`that includes a method step, independent Claims 1, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13 are
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`indefinite, as are their dependent claims, which comprise all of the Challenged
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`Claims.
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`As a second independent ground, all of the Challenged Claims are invalid
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`because Ameranth claimed technology that Applicants did not invent and that is
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`not disclosed in the specification. Ameranth asserts in concurrent litigation that the
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`claimed synchronous communication system encompasses both
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`(1)
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`the
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`synchronization of information stored in a central database with information stored
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`in a database on a connected handheld device and (2) sending information stored in
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`a central database through Internet communications without a local copy of “to-be-
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`synchronized” data resident in a database or otherwise on the connected handheld
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`device. The specification only arguably supports the former and, therefore, fails to
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`provide the required written description for the latter type of communication in
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`which there is no copy of the information in a database of or resident on a
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`connected handheld device. See Exhibit 1032, ‘325 Patent at 7:17-26 (stating that
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`the steps taken in building a menu includes “Download the menu database to the
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`handheld device.”); ‘325 Patent at 11:9-14 (“In the preferred embodiment, the
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`menu generation approach of the present invention uses Windows CE®,” which
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`“provides the benefits of a familiar Windows 95/98/NT® look and feel [and] built-
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`in
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`synchronization between handheld devices,
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`internet
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`and desktop
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`infrastructure . . . .”). Because there is no support to establish that the Applicants
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`were in possession of the full scope of the claimed subject matter as interpreted by
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`Ameranth, the Challenged Claims fail to meet the written description requirement
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`of 35 U.S.C. § 112.
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`As the third and fourth grounds for unpatentability under 35 U.S.C. § 112,
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`Claims 1-10 also invalid based on the written description requirement and
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`definiteness requirement. The claimed subject matter requiring transmission of a
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`second menu to a web page is not adequately described in the specification. As
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`such, the specification fails to convey with reasonable particularity that the
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`patentee was in possession of the claimed subject matter. The claim language fails
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`the definiteness requirement as well because the language is non-sensical: A “web
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`page” is a document, not a device.
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`Finally, as a fifth independent ground, Claims 11-15 are indefinite under 35
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`U.S.C. § 112 due to the phrase “any other communication protocol.” This claim
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`term lacks a meaningfully precise claim scope, and the specification is silent as to
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`the identity or nature of any communications protocol. Neither the prosecution
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`history of the ‘325 Patent nor its parent offer any definition or other objective basis
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`-7-
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`to determine the bounds of the “any other communications protocol” language.
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`Therefore, Claims 11-15 are invalid.
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`B.
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`The Challenged Claims Fail to Claim Patentable Subject
`Matter under § 101
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`The Challenged Claims are directed to non-statutory subject matter and are
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`therefore invalid under § 101. Abstract ideas are not patentable. Gottschalk v.
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`Benson, 409 U.S. 63, 67 (1972). To be patentable, a claim must do more than
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`simply state the law of nature or abstract idea and add the words “apply it.” Mayo
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`Collaboration Servs. v. Prometheus Labs., Inc., 132 S. Ct. 1289, 1294 (2012).
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`When evaluating a claim under § 101, the key question is whether the claims do
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`significantly more than simply describe the law of nature or abstract idea. Adding
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`steps that merely reflect routine, conventional activity do not make ineligible
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`subject matter eligible for a patent. Mayo, 132 S. Ct. at 1298. Furthermore, the
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`“prohibition against patenting abstract
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`ideas ‘cannot be circumvented by
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`attempting to limit the use of the formula to a particular technological
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`environment’ or adding ‘insignificant post-solution activity.’” Bilski v. Kappos,
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`130 S. Ct. 3218, 3230 (2010) (“Bilski II”) (quoting Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S.
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`175, 191-92 (1981)); see also Accenture Global Servs., GMBH v. Guidewire
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`AMENDED PETITION FOR POST-GRANT REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325
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`Software, Inc., No. 2011-1486, 2013 WL 4749919, at *5 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 5, 2013)
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`(finding patent ineligible system claims that merely recited a corresponding
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`method without other “meaningful limitations”).
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`Indeed, Ameranth openly admits that the Challenged Claims are merely
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`directed to a compu