throbber
Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 1 of 9
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE DISTRICT OF VERMONT
`
`
`
`
`
`Arnouse Digital Devices Corp.
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`
`Motorola Mobility, Inc.
`
`Defendant.
`
`
` Civil Action No.: 5:11-cv-155-cr
`
`
`
`DEFENDANT MOTOROLA MOBILITY INC.’S
`MOTION TO DISMISS PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT
`AND SUPPORTING MEMORANDUM OF LAW
`
`
`
`MOTION TO DISMISS
`
`Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Defendant Motorola
`
`Mobility, Inc. (“Motorola Mobility”) moves the Court to dismiss all of the claims in Arnouse
`
`Digital Devices Corp.‟s (“Arnouse”) First Amended Complaint.
`
`MEMORANDUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS
`
`STATEMENT OF FACTS
`
`On June 16, 2011, Arnouse filed a Complaint against Motorola Mobility alleging
`
`infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,516,484 (“the ‟484 patent”), attached as Ex. A to the
`
`Complaint. The Complaint alleged that Motorola Mobility infringed the ‟484 patent by making,
`
`selling, and offering for sale the Motorola Atrix smartphone and the Motorola Lapdock used
`
`with the Atrix smartphone. Compl., D.E. 1, at ¶ 11-12. On October 5, 2011, Arnouse filed its
`
`First Amended Complaint, which alleges that Motorola Mobility infringes by making, selling,
`
`and offering for sale one or more versions of the Motorola Atrix, Atrix II, and Droid 4G
`
`smartphones (hereafter the “smartphones”) that are used in combination with one or more
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 1
`
`

`

`Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 2 of 9
`
`
`
`versions of the Motorola Lapdock (hereafter the “lapdock”). First Amended Compl., D.E. 4 at ¶
`
`6.
`
`
`
`The ‟484 patent is entitled “Reader Adapted for a Portable Computer.” Id. at Ex. A. In
`
`general, it describes a “reader,” or docking station, that may be used with a certain type of
`
`portable computer to allow a user to interact with the portable computer.1 The ‟484 patent
`
`recites, at the end of the patent, 20 claims that purport to define Arnouse‟s intellectual property
`
`rights. See Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 517 US 370, 373 (1996) (“The claim
`
`„define[s] the scope of a patent grant.‟”) (quoting 3 E. Lipscomb, Walker on Patents § 11:1, pp.
`
`280 (3d ed. 1985)). Three of the claims of the ‟484 patent, claims 1, 8, and 15, are known as
`
`“independent claims” because they recite claimed intellectual property rights without reference
`
`to any other claim. Teledyne McCormick Selph v. United States, 558 F.2d 1000, 1004 (Ct. Cl.
`
`1977) (citing Dresser Indus., Inc. v. United States, 432 F.2d 787 (Ct. Cl. 1970)). As noted
`
`below, if an independent claim is not infringed, then none of its dependent claims can be
`
`infringed as a matter of law.
`
`
`
`Each of the independent claims of the ‟484 patent requires a “portable computer” that
`
`lacks input and output means. This is so, the patent explains, because the computer is plugged
`
`into the reader, or docking station, and the user accesses the contents of the computer through the
`
`input and output means of the docking station. ‟484 patent at Col. 6, ll. 4-21. Specifically,
`
`independent claim 1 recites, in part, “a portable computer without input and output means for
`
`interacting directly therewith . . . .” ‟484 patent, col. 13, ll. 8-10. Independent claim 8 similarly
`
`recites, in part, “a fully functional general purpose computer . . . excluding means for a user to
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`
`1 It is appropriate for the Court to consider the „484 patent because it is attached to the complaint and because the
`complaint incorporates the „484 patent by reference. See Roth v. Jennings, 489 F.3d 499, 509 (2d Cir. 2007) (In
`considering a motion under 12(b)(6), “[d]ocuments that are attached to the complaint or incorporated in it by
`reference are deemed part of the pleading and may be considered”); see also Pani v. Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield,
`152 F.3d 67, 71 (2d Cir. 1998); Amusement Industry, Inc. v. Stern, 693 F. Supp. 2d 327, 337 (S.D. N.Y. 2010).
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}2
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 2
`
`

`

`Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 3 of 9
`
`
`
`interact with the computer.” Id. at col. 13, ll. 47-49. Independent claim 15 likewise recites a
`
`computing system comprised of a reader and a computer, where the computer “excludes means
`
`for a user to interact directly with the portable computer.” Id. at col. 14, ll. 31-32.
`
`ARGUMENT
`
`
`
`As noted above, each of the independent claims of the ‟484 patent requires a portable
`
`computer that lacks input and output means. It is impossible to dispute – and Arnouse fails to
`
`allege otherwise – that each of the accused smartphones (which Arnouse alleges to be the
`
`“portable computer” of the claims) include both input and output means. Each smartphone (as
`
`well as any mobile phone generally) must have a keyboard, microphone, and speakers so that a
`
`user can interact with the phone. Thus, it is not possible for Arnouse to allege a claim of patent
`
`infringement that is plausible on its face, and the Court should dismiss Arnouse‟s complaint with
`
`prejudice.
`
`I.
`
`
`
`
`APPLICABLE LAW
`
`In considering a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the Court must determine whether the
`
`plaintiff has alleged sufficient facts to state a claim for relief which is “plausible on its face.”
`
`Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550
`
`U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). The Supreme Court has held that “a plaintiff‟s obligation [under Rule
`
`8(a)] to provide the „grounds‟ of his „entitle[ment] to relief‟ requires more than labels and
`
`conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.”
`
`Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. In Iqbal, the Court reiterated this holding, stating both that the rule
`
`set forth in Twombly applies to all civil actions and that Rule 8(a) requires “more than an
`
`unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1949. Other
`
`courts have held that the rule set forth in Twombly is particularly applicable to complex litigation
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}3
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 3
`
`

`

`Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 4 of 9
`
`
`
`such as patent cases, where discovery typically is costly and extensive. See, e.g., Filipek v.
`
`Krass, 576 F. Supp. 2d 918, 922-23 (N.D. Ill. 2008); Wistron Corp. v. Phillip M. Adams &
`
`Associates, LLC, No. C-10-4458, 2011 WL 4079231, at *4 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 12, 2011); Fifth
`
`Market, Inc. v. CME Group, Inc., Civ. No. 08-520-GMS, 2009 WL 5966836 (D. Del. May 14,
`
`2009).
`
`I.
`
`THE ACCUSED SMARTPHONES CANNOT INFRINGE THE CLAIMS OF THE
`’484 PATENT
`
`A.
`
`Independent Claims 1, 8, and 15 Each Requires a Portable Computer that
`Lacks Input or Output Means.
`
`
`
`The independent claims of the ‟484 patent make it clear that the “portable computer” that
`
`interacts with the docking station (reader) claimed in the ‟484 patent cannot be used
`
`independently of the docking station, because the computer has no input or output devices (such
`
`as a keyboard or screen) for a user to use. For instance, independent claim 1 recites, in part, “a
`
`portable computer without input and output means for interacting directly therewith . . . .” ‟484
`
`patent, col. 13, ll. 8-10. Independent claim 8 recites, in part, “a fully functional general purpose
`
`computer . . . excluding means for a user to interact with the computer.” Id. at col. 13, ll. 47-49.
`
`Independent claim 15 recites a computing system comprised of a reader and a computer, where
`
`the computer “excludes means for a user to interact directly with the portable computer.” Id. at
`
`col. 14, ll. 31-32. Further, the ‟484 patent states that “the portable computer reader provides
`
`[the] only means for a user to interact with or use the portable computer.” Id. at col. 6, ll. 8-9.
`
`The ‟484 patent refers to the “means for interacting with the computer” as an “input and output
`
`device” such as “a keyboard, display, mouse, speakers, etc.” Id. at col. 6, ll. 4-7.
`
`B.
`
`Each of the Smartphones Includes an Input and Output Means.
`
`
`
`Arnouse contends that Motorola Mobility infringes the ‟484 patent because the
`
`smartphones are the “portable computer” that is attached to and interacts with the lapdock, which
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}4
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 4
`
`

`

`Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 5 of 9
`
`
`
`is the “reader.” See Amended Complaint, ¶ 6 (alleging that the smartphones are the “portable
`
`computer” and the lapdock is the “reader”). It is common knowledge that smartphones (and
`
`other mobile telephones) must have a keypad (whether a hardware or touch screen keypad), as
`
`well as a display screen, a speaker, and a microphone to enable the user to make telephone calls,
`
`send emails or text messages, etc. These are facts that cannot be rationally disputed, and indeed,
`
`Arnouse does not allege otherwise.
`
`
`
`This Court should take judicial notice of the fact that the smartphones at issue here have
`
`input and output means such as a screen, keyboard, speaker, and microphone. The Court may
`
`consider in context of this motion to dismiss “matters of which judicial notice may be taken.”
`
`Leonard T. v. Israel Discount Bank of N.Y., 199 F.3d 99, 107 (2d Cir. 1999) (citing Allen v.
`
`WestPoint-Pepperill, Inc., 945 F.2d 40, 44 (2d Cir. 1991)). A court may take judicial notice of a
`
`fact that is “(1) generally known within the territorial jurisdiction of the trial court or (2) capable
`
`of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be
`
`questioned.” FED. R. EVID. 201(b). For instance, courts can take judicial notice of well known
`
`facts that are available in works found in every library. See Eden Toys, Inc. v. Marshall Field &
`
`Co., 675 F.2d 498, 500, n.1 (Fed. Cir. 1982) (finding that “[t]he traditional features of a
`
`snowman are known generally and thus appropriate for judicial notice.”); see also Werk v.
`
`Parker, 249 U.S. 130, 132-33 (1919). Accordingly, Motorola Mobility requests that the Court
`
`take judicial notice that the smartphones include input and output means, such as a screen,
`
`keyboard (touchscreen or otherwise), a speaker, and a microphone.
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`C. Motorola Mobility Cannot Infringe Any Claim of the ’484 Patent.
`
`
`
`Because there can be no rational or plausible allegation that the smartphones lack input
`
`and output means, the smartphones cannot infringe any of independent claims 1, 8, or 15. ACCO
`
`Brands, Inc. v. Micro Sec. Devices, Inc., 346 F.3d 1075, 1080 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (citation omitted)
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}5
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 5
`
`

`

`Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 6 of 9
`
`
`
`(Infringing a patent claim “requires that every element of the invention as claimed is present in
`
`the accused device.”); see also Southwall Techs., Inc. v. Cardinal IG Co., 54 F.3d 1570, 1575
`
`(Fed. Cir. 1995). Moreover, because the smartphones do not infringe any of the ‟484 patent‟s
`
`independent claims, they also do not infringe its dependent claims. See Teledyne McCormick
`
`Selph, 558 F.2d at 1004. Accordingly, Motorola Mobility cannot infringe any claim of the ‟484
`
`patent.
`
`D.
`
`All Limitations of Independent Claims 1 and 8 Are Substantive.
`
`
`
`Arnouse may argue that the input and output means limitations discussed above should
`
`not be considered because, at least for claims 1 and 8 (but not claim 15), these limitations are in
`
`the preamble, rather than the body of the claim. However, if a limitation is added to the
`
`preamble of a claim during prosecution of the patent application before the Patent and
`
`Trademark Office (“PTO”) to convince the PTO examiner that the patent application is different
`
`from the prior art, then the preamble is a substantive limitation of the claim. See, e.g., In re
`
`Cruciferous Sprout Litig., 301 F.3d 1343 (Fed. Cir. 2002); Catalina Mktg. Int’l v.
`
`Coolsavings.com, Inc., 289 F.3d 802, 808 (Fed. Cir. 2002); Briston-Myers Squibb Co. v. Ben
`
`Venue Labs., Inc., 246 F.3d 1368, 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2001).
`
`
`
`Here, Arnouse limited the ‟484 patent‟s claims to portable computers that lack input and
`
`output means, and it did so because otherwise the PTO would have rejected the patent
`
`application as invalid in view of prior art. Specifically, Arnouse amended claim 1 during
`
`prosecution before the PTO to recite “a portable computer without input and output means for
`
`interacting directly therewith . . . .” Response to Office Action mailed January 13, 2009, p. 9
`
`(Ex. A.).2 It made this amendment after the PTO Examiner rejected the then-pending claims
`
`
`2 It is well-settled that records and reports from government agencies are the proper subject of judicial notice. See
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}6
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 6
`
`

`

`Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 7 of 9
`
`
`
`because of prior art U.S. Patent No. 5,264,992 to Hogdahl et al. Id. Specifically, in an effort to
`
`convince the PTO Examiner that its patent application was different from the Hogdahl patent,
`
`Arnouse argued that in its invention “the portable computer needs the reader for the user to
`
`interact with the computer.” Id.3 Thus, the limitations recited in the preamble of claims 1 and 8
`
`are substantive elements of the patent claim, and Arnouse cannot ignore them by arguing
`
`otherwise.
`
`
`
`CONCLUSION
`
`
`
`The Amended Complaint cannot plausibly allege that the Motorola Mobility smartphones
`
`accused of infringement do not include input and output means and, as such, cannot plausibly
`
`allege that the Motorola Mobility smartphones are the “portable computers” that independent
`
`claims 1, 8, and 15 of the ‟484 patent cover. Thus, Arnouse fails to allege sufficient facts to state
`
`a claim for relief which is “plausible on its face,” Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1949 (quoting Twombly,
`
`550 U.S. at 570), and accordingly, Motorola Mobility‟s Motion to Dismiss should be granted and
`
`this matter dismissed with prejudice.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`e.g., Barron v. Reich, 13 F. 3d 1370, 1377 (9th Cir. 1994) (judicial notice may be taken of “[r]ecords and reports of
`administrative bodies”); Interstate Natural Gas Co. v. Southern California Gas Co., 209 F. 2d 380, 385 (9th Cir.
`1953) (“We may take judicial notice of records and reports of administrative bodies.”). Courts across the country
`routinely take judicial notice of records from the United States Patent & Trademark Office (“PTO”) including
`prosecution and reexamination histories. See e.g., Kristar Enters., Inc. v. Revel Envtl. Mktg., Inc., No. 98-3094, 1999
`WL 66135, at *3 (N.D. Cal., Feb. 9, 1999) (citing to judicially noticed prosecution history of a patent); Viskase
`Corp. v. Am. Nat. Can Co., 261 F. 3d 1316, 1327, 1328 n. 2 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (taking judicial notice of PTO
`reexamination proceedings and outcomes); Standard Havens Prods., Inc. v. Gencor Indus., Inc., 897 F.2d 511, 514
`n. 3 (Fed. Cir. 1990) (taking judicial notice of a PTO Office Action because it was part of the public record).
`3 With regard to claim 8, “[w]here the body of the claim refers again to a preamble term, any necessarily limiting
`language in the preamble will have the effect of a limitation.” Synventive Molding Solutions, Inc. v. Huscky
`Injection Molding Sys., No. 2:08-CV-136, at 7 n. 1 (D. Vt. June 27, 2008), ECF No. (Opinion and Order: Claim
`Construction) 283 (citing Bell Commc'ns Research, Inc. v. Vitalink Commc'ns Corp., 55 F.3d 615, 621 (Fed. Cir.
`1995)).
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}7
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 7
`
`

`

`Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 8 of 9
`
`
`
`Dated: at Burlington, Vermont, this 2nd day of December 2011.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`DINSE, KNAPP & McANDREW, P.C.
`
`/s/ Samuel Hoar, Jr.
`
`Samuel Hoar, Jr., Esq.
`
`
`KILPATRICK TOWNSEND & STOCKTON LLP
`
`Steven D. Moore (pro hac vice pending)
`Matias Ferrario (pro hac vice pending)
`Michael Morlock (pro hac vice pending)
`Brian Foster (pro hac vice pending)
`
`1001 West Fourth Street
`Winston-Salem, NC 27101-2400
`Telephone: (336) 607-7431
`Facsimile: (336) 607-7500
`
`smoore@kilpatricktownsend.com
`mferrario@kilpatricktownsend.com
`mmorlock@kilpatricktownsend.com
`bfoster@kilpatricktownsend.com
`
`
`
`Attorneys for Defendant Motorola Mobility, Inc.
`
`
`
`
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}8
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 8
`
`

`

`Case 5:11-cv-00155-cr Document 8 Filed 12/02/11 Page 9 of 9
`
`
`
`
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`I, Samuel Hoar, Jr., Esq., certify that on December 2, 2011, I electronically filed the
`
`foregoing document with the Clerk of Court using the CM/ECF system. The CM/ECF system
`
`will provide service of such filing via Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) to the following NEF
`
`parties:
`
`R. Bradford Fawley, Esq.
`
`Lawrence H. Meier, Esq.
`
`A copy of the foregoing has also been served upon the following parties by mailing a
`
`copy thereof via U.S. first class, postage prepaid mail, to counsel of record at:
`
`None
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`DINSE, KNAPP & McANDREW, P.C.
`
`/s/ Samuel Hoar, Jr.
`
`Samuel Hoar, Jr., Esq.
`
`
`
`
`
`Dinse,
`
`Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
`
`209 Battery Street
`
`P.O. Box 988
`
`Burlington, VT
`
`05402-0988
`
`(802) 864-5751
`
`{B0791973.1 13925-0001}9
`
`Petitioner Motorola Mobility LLC - Exhibit 1008 - Page 9
`
`

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