`
`Paper No. _______
`
`Apple Inc.
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`VirnetX, Inc. and Science Application International Corporation,
`Patent Owner
`
`Patent No. 6,502,135
`Issued: Dec. 31, 2002
`Filed: Feb. 15, 2000
`Inventors: Edmund C. Munger, et al
`Title: Agile Network Protocol For Secure Communications With Assured System
`Availability
`____________________
`
`Inter Partes Review No. 2013-00348
`__________________________________________________________________
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`___________________
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR A PETITION FOR
`
`INTER PARTES REVIEW .......................................................................... 1
`A. Certification the ’135 Patent May Be Contested by Petitioner .............. 1
`B.
`Fee for Inter Partes Review (§ 42.15(a)) ................................................ 3
`C. Mandatory Notices (37 CFR § 42.8(b)) ................................................. 3
`1. Real Party in Interest (§ 42.8(b)(1)) ................................................. 3
`2. Other Proceedings (§ 42.8(b)(2)) ..................................................... 3
`3. Designation of Lead and Backup Counsel ....................................... 4
`4. Service Information (§42.8(b)(4)) .................................................... 5
`D. Proof of Service (§§ 42.6(e) and 42.105(a)) .......................................... 5
`II.
`(§ 42.104(B)) ................................................................................................... 5
`III. RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE CONTESTED
`PATENT ......................................................................................................... 6
`A. Effective Filing Date and Prosecution History of the ’135
`patent ....................................................................................................... 6
`B.
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art......................................................... 7
`C. Construction of Terms Used in the Claims ............................................ 8
`1. Virtual Private Network (VPN) (Claims 1, 10, 13, 18) ................... 8
`2. Virtual Private Link (Claim 13) ..................................................... 12
`3. Domain Name (Claims 1, 10, 13, 18) ............................................ 12
`4. Domain Name Service (Claims 1, 10, 13, 18) ............................... 12
`5. DNS Server (Claims 18, 2 and 8) .................................................. 13
`6. DNS Proxy Server (Claims 10, 8) .................................................. 13
`7. Web Site (Claims 1, 10, 18) ........................................................... 14
`8. Secure Web Site/Target Web Site (Claims 1, 8, 10, 18) ............... 14
`9. Secure Web Computer (Claim 10) ................................................. 14
`10. Target Computer (Claims 1, 10, 18) ............................................. 15
`
`I.
`
`IDENTIFICATION OF CLAIMS BEING CHALLENGED
`
`i
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`
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`11. IP Address Hopping Scheme (Claim 6) ........................................ 15
`IV. PRECISE REASONS FOR RELIEF REQUESTED ............................... 15
`A. Claims 1-10, 12-15 and 18 Are Anticipated By U.S. Patent No.
`6,496,867 to Beser et al. (Beser). ......................................................... 15
`1. Beser Anticipates Claim 1 .............................................................. 16
`2. Beser Anticipates Claim 10 ............................................................ 18
`3. Beser Anticipates Claim 13 ............................................................ 21
`4. Beser Anticipates Claim 18 ............................................................ 23
`5. Beser Anticipates Claim 2 .............................................................. 26
`6. Beser Anticipates Claim 3 .............................................................. 26
`7. Beser Anticipates Claims 4 and 12 ................................................ 27
`8. Beser Anticipates Claim 5 .............................................................. 28
`9. Beser Anticipates Claims 6 and 14 ................................................ 28
`10. Beser Anticipates Claim 7 ............................................................ 29
`11. Beser Anticipates Claim 8 ............................................................ 30
`12. Beser Anticipates Claim 9 ............................................................ 30
`13. Beser Anticipates Claim 15 .......................................................... 31
`B. Beser Considered with RFC 2401 Renders Obvious Claims 1-
`10, 12-15, and 18 .................................................................................. 31
`1. Claims 1, 10, 13 and 18 Would Have Been Obvious .................... 34
`2. Dependent Claims 2-9, 12, 14 and 15 ............................................ 36
`3. Dependent Claims 6 and 14 ........................................................... 36
`C. Beser in View of Blum Renders Obvious Claims 3, 5, 8, 10,
`12, and 18.............................................................................................. 38
`1. Claim 10, and Claims 3 and 8 Would Have Been Obvious ........... 39
`2. Claim 18 and Claim 5 Would Have Been Obvious ....................... 42
`3. Dependent Claim 12 ....................................................................... 44
`D. Beser in View of RFC 2401, and Further in View of Blum
`Renders Claims 3, 5, 8, 10, and 18 Obvious ........................................ 45
`E. Beser in view of Aventail Renders Claims 18 and 5 Obvious ............. 45
`
`ii
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`Beser in view of RFC 2401 and Aventail Renders Claims 18
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`Beser in view of Hoke and Aventail Renders Claims 18 and 5
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`F. Beser in view of Hoke Renders Claims 1-10, 12-15, and 18
`Obvious ................................................................................................. 47
`1. Claims 1, 10, 13, and 18 Would Have Been Obvious ................... 47
`2. Claims 9 and 12 Would Have Been Obvious ................................ 48
`3. Claim 13 Would Have Been Obvious ............................................ 50
`4. Dependent Claims 2-8, and 14-15 .................................................. 52
`G. Beser in view of Hoke and Blum Renders Claims 10, 18, 3, 5,
`8, and 12 Obvious ................................................................................. 52
`H. Beser in view of RFC 2401 and Hoke Renders Claims 13, 9,
`and 12 Obvious ..................................................................................... 53
`I.
`and 5 Obvious ....................................................................................... 53
`J.
`Obvious ................................................................................................. 54
`K. Beser in view of RFC 2401, Hoke, Blum, and Aventail
`Renders Claims 1-10, 12-15, and 18 Obvious ...................................... 55
`V. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................ 55
`
`
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`Attachment A. Proof of Service of the Petition
`
`Attachment B. List of Evidence and Exhibits Relied Upon in Petition
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`
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`
`
`iii
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`
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`I.
`
`COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR A PETITION FOR
`INTER PARTES REVIEW
`A. Certification the ’135 Patent May Be Contested by Petitioner
`Petitioner certifies it is not barred or estopped from requesting inter partes
`
`review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135 (the ’135 patent) (Ex. 1001). Neither
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`Petitioner, nor any party in privity with Petitioner, has filed a civil action
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`challenging the validity of any claim of the ’135 patent. The ’135 patent has not
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`been the subject of a prior inter partes review by Petitioner or a privy of Petitioner.
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`Petitioner also certifies this petition for inter partes review is filed within
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`one year of the date of service of a complaint alleging infringement of a patent.
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`Petitioner was served with a complaint alleging infringement of the ’135 patent on
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`December 31, 2012, which led to Civil Action No. 6:12-cv-00855-LED in the
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`Eastern District of Texas. Ex. 1050. Because the date of this petition is less than
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`one year from December 31, 2012, this petition complies with 35 U.S.C. § 315(b).
`
`Petitioner notes it was previously served with a complaint asserting
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`infringement of the ’135 patent in August of 2010, which led to Civil Action No:
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`6:10-cv-417. During that action, the District Court established an additional civil
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`action, Civil Action No. 6:13-cv-00211-LED, on February 26, 2013 (also pending
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`in the Eastern District of Texas). The August 2010 complaint does not foreclose
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`the present petition, as Patent Owner served a new complaint on Petitioner
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`asserting infringement of the ’135 patent in December of 2012.
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`
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`
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`Petitioner submits this conclusion is compelled by the plain language of
`
`§ 315(b). Notably, § 315(b) does not specify a one-year deadline that runs from
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`the date of the first complaint served on a petitioner. Rather, it states “[a]n inter
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`partes review may not be instituted if the petition requesting the proceeding is filed
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`more than 1 year after the date on which the petitioner, real party in interest, or
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`privy of the petitioner is served with a complaint alleging infringement of the
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`patent.” Thus, a petition filed within 1 year of the date any complaint alleging
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`infringement of the patent is served on a petitioner is timely under the plain
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`statutory language of § 315(b). This is also the only reading of § 315(b) consistent
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`with the statutory design. Congress designed the IPR authority to be option to
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`contest validity of a patent concurrently with district court proceedings involving
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`the same patent. A timely filed IPR proceeding in any action a patent owner elects
`
`to commence is perfectly consistent with this statutory design.
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`Reading § 315(b) in this manner also is the only way to effectively foreclose
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`gaming of the system by a Patent Owner. Indeed, if § 315(b) were read to
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`foreclose IPR proceedings in a second, independent action for infringement a
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`patent owner elected to commence, it would unfairly foreclose use of the IPR
`
`system. For example, a patent owner could assert irrelevant claims in a first action,
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`wait a year, and then assert different claims in a new action that do present risks to
`
`a third party. In this scenario, the patent owner would foreclose legitimate use of
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`2
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`
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`an IPR to contest validity of the patent claims asserted in the second action based
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`on the third party’s reasonable business decision to not dispute validity of
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`irrelevant claims in the first action. Rather than attempting to decipher which
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`scenarios would be improper, the Board should follow the plain meaning of
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`§ 315(b), and find a petition timely if it is filed within 1 year of the date any
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`complaint alleging infringement of the patent is served on a Petitioner.
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`Finally, reading §315(b) to foreclose this petition based on the August 2010
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`complaint would be particularly unjust in this case. The 1-year period following
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`service of the August 2010 complaint expired before it was possible to submit an
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`IPR petition – petitions could only be filed on or after September 16, 2012.
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`Fee for Inter Partes Review (§ 42.15(a))
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`B.
`The Director is authorized to charge the fee specified by 37 CFR § 42.15(a)
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`to Deposit Account No. 18-1260.
`
`C. Mandatory Notices (37 CFR § 42.8(b))
`1.
`Real Party in Interest (§ 42.8(b)(1))
`The real party of interest of this petition pursuant to § 42.8(b)(1) is Apple
`
`Inc. (“Apple”) located at One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014.
`
`2. Other Proceedings (§ 42.8(b)(2))
`The ’135 patent is the subject of a number of civil actions including: (i) Civ.
`
`Act. No. 6:13-cv-00211-LED (E.D. Tex.), filed February 26, 2013; (ii) Civ. Act.
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`No. 6:12-cv-00855-LED (E.D. Tex.), filed November 6, 2012; (iii) Civ. Act. No.
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`3
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`6:10-cv-00417-LED (E.D. Tex.), filed August 11, 2010 (the “2010 litigation”); (iv)
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`Civ. Act. No. 6:11-cv-00018-LED (E.D. Tex), (iv) Civ. Act. No. 6:13-cv-00351-
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`LED (E.D. Tex), filed April 22, 2013; (v) Civ. Act. No. 6:10-cv-00094 (E.D. Tex);
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`and (vi) Civ. Act. No. 6:07-cv-00080 (E.D. Tex). Actions (i) to (iii) name
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`Petitioner as a defendant.
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`The ’135 patent is also the subject of merged inter partes reexamination nos.
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`95/001,679 and 95/001,682. Petitioner is the real party of interest in the ’682
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`proceeding. In the merged proceedings, the Office recently issued a Non-Final
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`Action rejecting all 18 claims of the ’135 patent, including rejections based on Ex.
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`1007 (Aventail), Ex. 1008 (BinGO), and Ex. 1009 (Beser), as well as on other prior
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`art references. Petitioner recognizes it may be appropriate for the Panel to merge,
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`join or take other steps to manage these concurrent proceedings. The ’135 patent
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`also was the subject of reexamination no. 95/001,269, which is concluded.
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`Finally the ’135 patent is the subject of IPR petition No. 2013-00349, being
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`filed concurrently with the present Petition.
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`3.
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`Designation of Lead and Backup Counsel
`
`Lead Counsel
`Jeffrey P. Kushan
`Reg. No. 43,401
`jkushan@sidley.com
`(202) 736-8914
`
`Backup Lead Counsel
`Joseph A. Micallef
`Reg. No. 39,772
`jmicallef@sidley.com
`(202) 736-8492
`
`4
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`Service Information (§42.8(b)(4))
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`4.
`Service on Petitioner may be made by mail or hand delivery to: Sidley
`
`Austin LLP, 1501 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. The fax number for
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`lead and backup counsel is (202) 736-8711.
`
`D.
`Proof of Service (§§ 42.6(e) and 42.105(a))
`Proof of service of this petition is provided in Attachment A.
`
`II.
`
`Identification of Claims Being Challenged (§ 42.104(b))
`Claims 1-10, 12-15, and 18 of the ’135 patent are unpatentable as being
`
`anticipated under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a) & (e), and/or for being obvious over the prior
`
`art under 35 U.S.C. § 103. Specifically:
`
`(i)
`
`Claims 1-10, 12-15, and 18 are anticipated under § 102(e) by U.S.
`Patent No. 6,496,867 to Beser et al. (Beser) (Ex. 1009);
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`(ii) Claims 1-10, 12-15, and 18 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser
`(Ex. 1009) in view of RFC 2401 (Ex. 1010);
`
`(iii) Claims 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 18 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser
`(Ex. 1009) in view of Blum (Ex. 1011);
`
`(iv) Claims 3, 5, 8, 10, and 18 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser
`(Ex. 1009) in view of RFC 2401 (Ex. 1010) and Blum (Ex. 1011);
`
` (v) Claims 18 and 5 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser (Ex. 1009)
`in view of RFC 2401 (Ex. 1010) and Aventail (Ex. 1007);
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`(vi) Claims 1-10, 12-15, and 18 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser
`(Ex. 1009) in view of Hoke (Ex. 1012);
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`(vii) Claims 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 18 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser
`(Ex. 1009) in view of Hoke (Ex. 1012) and Blum (Ex. 1011);
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`5
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`(viii) Claims 9, 12, and 13 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser (Ex.
`1009) in view of RFC 2401 (Ex. 1010) and Hoke (Ex. 1012);
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` (ix) Claims 5 and 18 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser (Ex. 1009)
`in view of Hoke (Ex. 1012) and Aventail (Ex. 1007);
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`(x) Claims 1-10, 12-15, and 18 are obvious under § 103 based on Beser
`(Ex. 1009) in view of RFC 2401 (Ex. 1010), Hoke (Ex. 1012), Blum
`(Ex. 1011), and Aventail (Ex. 1007);
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`Petitioner’s proposed construction of the contested claims, the evidence relied
`
`upon, and the precise reasons why the claims are unpatentable are provided in
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`§ IV, below. The evidence relied upon in this petition is listed in Attachment B.
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`III. Relevant Information Concerning the Contested Patent
`A. Effective Filing Date and Prosecution History of the ’135 patent
`The ’135 patent issued from U.S. Application No. 09/504,783, filed
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`February 15, 2000. The ’783 application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
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`Application No. 09/429,653, filed on October 29, 1999. The ’783 and ’653
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`applications each claim priority to Provisional Application Nos. 60/106,261, filed
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`October 30, 1998 and 60/137,704, filed June 7, 1998.
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`Claims 1, 10, 13 and 18 are the independent claims. Claims 1, 10 and 18
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`rely on information first presented in the ’783 CIP application. For example, claim
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`1 specifies “generating from the client computer a Domain Name Service (DNS)
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`request …” and subsequent steps involving that DNS request, while claim 10
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`specifies “[a] system … comprising … a DNS proxy server…” No application
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`filed prior to the ’783 application even uses the term “domain name service” much
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`6
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`less describes methods or systems that use DNS requests or DNS proxy servers to
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`establish virtual private networks. Ex. 1003 at ¶¶54-61. Claim 13 likewise relies
`
`on information first presented in the disclosure of the ’783 application. For
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`example, it specifies “…receiving from one of the plurality of client computers a
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`request to establish a connection…” and “…authenticating, with reference to one
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`of the plurality of authentication tables, that the request received in step (1) is
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`from an authorized client.” Neither step is described in any application filed
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`before the ’783 application. Ex. 1003 at ¶¶54-61. Accordingly, the effective filing
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`date of claims 1-10, 12-15 and 18 is no earlier than February 15, 2000. Ex. 1003
`
`at ¶61. In the inter partes reexamination proceedings involving the ’135 patent,
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`Patent Owner did not dispute that the effective filing date of the ’135 patent was no
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`earlier than February 15, 2000.
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`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art
`
`B.
`A person of ordinary skill in the art in the field of the ’135 patent would
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`have been someone with a good working knowledge of networking protocols,
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`including those employing security techniques, as well as computer systems that
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`support these protocols and techniques. The person also would be very familiar
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`with Internet standards related to communications and security, and with a variety
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`of client-server systems and technologies. The person would have gained this
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`7
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`knowledge either through education and training, several years of practical
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`working experience, or through a combination of these. Ex. 1003 at ¶68.
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`C. Construction of Terms Used in the Claims
`In this proceeding, claims must be given their broadest reasonable
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`construction in light of the specification. 37 CFR 42.100(b). The broadest
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`reasonable construction should encompass subject matter Patent Owner contends
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`infringes the claims, and constructions Patent Owner has advanced in litigation.
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`Also, if Patent Owner contends terms in the claims should be read to have a special
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`meaning in this proceeding, those contentions should be disregarded unless Patent
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`Owner presents amendments to the claims compliant with 35 U.S.C. § 112 that
`
`conform the claim language to such contentions. See 77 Fed .Reg. 48764 at II.B.6
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`(August 14, 2012). Cf., In re Youman, 679 F.3d 1335, 1343 (Fed. Cir. 2012).
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`Petitioner consequently has identified subject matter that falls within the scope of
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`the claims read in their broadest reasonable construction, which Petitioner submits
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`is sufficient for the purposes of this proceeding.
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`1.
`Virtual Private Network (VPN) (Claims 1, 10, 13, 18)
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “virtual private network” or
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`“VPN.” Ex. 1003 at ¶194. Two issues are raised by Patent Owner’s contentions
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`in litigation involving the ’135 patent regarding this term.
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`8
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`First, Patent Owner has contended a VPN requires the network traffic sent
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`over the VPN to be encrypted. See Ex. 1046 at 3-8 (a VPN is “a network of
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`computers which privately communicate with each other by encrypting traffic on
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`insecure communication paths between the computers.”); Ex. 1003 at ¶193. The
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`District Court in the 2010 litigation held a VPN is “a network of computers which
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`privately and directly communicate with each other by encrypting traffic on
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`insecure paths between the computers where the communication is both secure
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`and anonymous.” Ex. 1043 at 8. The broadest reasonable construction of VPN,
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`however, would not require the network traffic to be encrypted. For example, the
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`’135 patent states “Data security is usually tackled using some form of data
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`encryption” (Ex. 1001 at 1:38-39) and refers to a technique that does not use
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`encryption to protect the anonymity of the VPN. Ex. 1001 at 2:25-36; see also Ex.
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`1003 at ¶¶193-198. The ’135 patent also shows a particular type of VPN – one
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`using “TARP” routers – that does use encryption (Ex. 1001 at 2:66-3:29) but
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`indicates this scheme is not mandatory in the DNS-based VPN schemes it claims.
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`See, e.g., Ex. 1001 at 38:2-5 (“The VPN is preferably implemented using the IP
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`address “hopping” features of the basic invention described above…”). The ’135
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`disclosure also does not show any explicit encryption steps for DNS-related VPN
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`schemes. See Ex. 1001 at 37:17-40:13. In February of 2000, it was understood a
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`VPN could be established without encryption; namely, by using “obfuscation” or
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`hiding techniques to ensure the security and anonymity of the network traffic over
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`the public network. See Ex. 1003 at ¶¶193-198.
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`Second, Patent Owner disputed in concurrent litigation that the claims
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`require computers in a VPN to “directly communicate with each other.” See, e.g.,
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`Ex. 1046 at 1-3. In the August 2010 litigation, the Court found that Patent Owner
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`had disclaimed from the literal scope of the ’135 claims VPNs that do not involve
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`“direct communications” between the involved computers. Ex. 1043 at 6; see also
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`Ex. 1046 at 6-9; Ex. 1048 at 5-7. The Court specifically relied on Patent Owner’s
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`representations to the Office during the ’269 reexamination proceeding involving
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`the ’135 patent to make this determination – it found that Patent Owner had
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`asserted the ’135 claims were not anticipated by the Aventail systems because
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`“computers connected according to Aventail do not communicate directly with
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`each other.” The Court also observed that “…routers, firewalls, and similar
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`servers that participate in typical network communication do not impede ‘direct’
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`communication between a client and target computer.” Ex. 1043 at 8 (FN2).
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`The Court thus determined that a portion of the literal scope of the ’135
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`patent claims has been disclaimed (i.e., that portion covering VPNs in which
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`computers do not “directly” communicate). The logical consequence of that
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`determination is that the claims in their broadest reasonable construction still
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`encompass this disclaimed subject matter. Patent Owner’s prosecution disclaimer
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`10
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`– which is plainly effective in a district court proceeding to limit the claims
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`because the claims cannot be amended in that proceeding – should not be given
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`weight in this proceeding under the broadest reasonable construction standard.
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`See, e.g., M.P.E.P. § 2111; id. at § 2111.01(I) (“Although claims of issued patents
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`are interpreted in light of the specification, prosecution history, prior art and other
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`claims, this is not the mode of claim interpretation to be applied during
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`examination. During examination, the claims must be interpreted as broadly as
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`their terms reasonably allow”). Instead, in this proceeding, Patent Owner must
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`amend the claims to exclude subject matter it has disclaimed. The broadest
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`reasonable construction of “VPN” thus encompasses “a network of computers
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`which privately communicate – directly or otherwise – with each other on insecure
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`paths between the computers where the communication is both secure and
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`anonymous, where the data transferred may or may not be encrypted.”
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`This also demonstrates that the literal scope of the claims (disregarding
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`Patent Owner’s disclaimer) encompass what the Office found to be described in
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`Aventail (Ex. 1007). Aventail also describes VPNs in which computers
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`communicate “directly” pursuant to the Court’s construction. See § IV.A.1,
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`below.
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`11
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135
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`2.
`Virtual Private Link (Claim 13)
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “virtual private link.” Patent
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`Owner has asserted a “virtual private link” is “a communication link that permits
`
`computers to privately communicate with each other by encrypting traffic on
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`insecure communication paths between the computers.” Ex. 1043 at 8. The Court,
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`however, found this term means the same thing as a VPN. Ex. 1043 at 8-9 (“the
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`Court construes ‘virtual private link’ as ‘a virtual private network as previously
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`defined.’”). Consequently, Petitioner submits the same construction should be
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`used for “virtual private link” as is used for “virtual private network.”
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`Domain Name (Claims 1, 10, 13, 18)
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`3.
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “domain name.” Patent Owner
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`has asserted a “domain name” means “a name corresponding to an IP address.”
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`Ex. 1046 at 14-15. The broadest reasonable construction of this “domain name”
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`should include Patent Owner’s proposed definition.
`
`4.
`Domain Name Service (Claims 1, 10, 13, 18)
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “domain name service.” Patent
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`Owner has asserted a “domain name service” is “a lookup service that returns an IP
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`address for a requested domain name.” Ex. 1046 at 13-14. A domain name
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`service performs domain name resolution according to Internet standards, namely,
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`RFC 1034 (Ex. 1016) and RFC 1035 (Ex. 1017). Ex. 1003 at ¶¶116-117. Under
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`these standards, an IP address will not always be returned – an error also may be
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`returned. Ex. 1003 at ¶¶116-125. The broadest reasonable construction of
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`“domain name service” thus includes “a lookup service that will return an IP
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`address or an error code in response to a domain name resolution request.”
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`5.
`DNS Server (Claims 18, 2 and 8)
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “DNS Server.” The ’135 patent
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`indicates that when this term is used, it is being used generally as a “server” that
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`returns an IP address in response to a request containing a domain name. See Ex.
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`1003 at ¶210-216. As noted in § 4, a domain name service also may return an
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`error. The broadest reasonable construction of “DNS server” thus includes “a
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`computer or computer-based process that will return an IP address or an error code
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`in response to a domain name resolution request.”
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`6.
`DNS Proxy Server (Claims 10, 8)
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “DNS proxy server.” It does
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`discuss features of a “DNS Proxy Server.” For example, it explains a DNS proxy
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`server may distribute its functions across multiple computers and processes. See
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`Ex. 1003 at ¶219 (citing to Ex. 1001 at 38:23-53). Patent Owner also has asserted
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`a “DNS proxy server” is “a computer or program that responds to a domain name
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`inquiry in place of a DNS.” Ex. 1046 at 16-17. The broadest reasonable
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`construction of a “DNS Proxy Server” thus includes “one or more computers or
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`processes that individually or collectively respond to a domain name inquiry in
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`place of a DNS server.”
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`7. Web Site (Claims 1, 10, 18)
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “web site.” Patent Owner asserted
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`a “web site” means “a computer associated with a domain name and that can
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`communicate in a network.” Ex. 1046 at 21-22. The broadest reasonable
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`construction of “web site” should include Patent Owner’s construction.
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`8.
`Secure Web Site/Target Web Site (Claims 1, 8, 10, 18)
`The ’135 patent does not define the terms “secure web site” or “secure
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`target web site.” Patent Owner has asserted a “secure web site” means “a
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`computer associated with a domain name and that can communicate in a virtual
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`private network.” Ex. 1046 at 21-22. Patent Owner proposed a similar definition
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`for a “secure target web site”; namely, “a target computer associated with a domain
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`name and that can communicate in a virtual private network.” Ex. 1046 at 21-22.
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`The broadest reasonable construction of these terms should include Patent Owner’s
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`proposed constructions for each term.
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`Secure Web Computer (Claim 10)
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`9.
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “secure web computer.” Patent
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`Owner has asserted that a “secure web computer” means “a computer that requires
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`authorization for access and that can communicate in a virtual private network.”
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`Ex. 1046 at 22-24. The broadest reasonable construction of “secure web
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`computer” should include the Patent Owner’s proposed construction.
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`10. Target Computer (Claims 1, 10, 18)
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “target computer.” Patent Owner
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`has asserted this term can mean “a computer with which the client computer seeks
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`to communicate.” Ex. 1046 at 24-25. The broadest reasonable construction of this
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`term should include Patent Owner’s proposed construction.
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`IP Address Hopping Scheme (Claim 6)
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`11.
`The ’135 patent does not define the term “IP address hopping scheme.” It
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`does refer to a variety of schemes that route traffic through intermediary network
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`devices according to a pre-defined scheme as “IP hopping schemes.” See, e.g., Ex.
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`1001 at 5:30-64, 14:59-16:15. These schemes use a wide variety of routing
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`concepts and strategies. The broadest reasonable construction of “IP address
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`hopping scheme” thus encompasses any type of scheme that routes IP traffic from
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`a client to the destination through intermediary devices.
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`IV. Precise Reasons for Relief Requested
`A. Claims 1-10, 12-15 and 18 Are Anticipated By U.S. Patent No.
`6,496,867 to Beser et al. (Beser).
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`Beser has an effective filing date of August 27, 1999, and is prior art under
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`at least under §102(e). A concise summary of the systems and processes described
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`in Beser is provided at ¶¶299-613 of Ex. 1003.
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`Beser Anticipates Claim 1
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`1.
`Beser describes processes that automatically and transparently establish an
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`IP tunneling association between two end devices with the aid of a first and second
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`network device and a trusted-third-party network device on a public network. Ex.
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`1003 at ¶¶299-304. In the Beser schemes, an originating end device is on a local
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`network that is connected to the public network via a first network device. Ex.
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`1003 at ¶¶304-305, 314-320. Similarly, the terminating end device is on a
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`different local network that is connected to the public network by a second network
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`device. Id. Beser shows that the trusted-third-party network device may be a DNS
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`server. Ex. 1003 at ¶¶306, 320-324. Beser also teaches that IP traffic sent over the
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`public network in an IP tunneling association ordinarily is encrypted. See Ex. 1003
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`at ¶¶311-313, 358-365. Beser therefore shows “[a] method for transparently
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`creating a virtual private network (VPN) between a client computer and a target
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`computer.” Ex. 1003 at ¶¶425-430; see generally Ex. 1003 at ¶¶170-185.
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`In the Beser schemes, an originating device sends a request containing a
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`domain name associated with a terminating device to the first network device. Ex.
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`1003 at ¶¶330-334. The first network device then forwards the request to the
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`trusted-third-party network device. Ex. 1003 at ¶¶330, 335. Beser thus describes a
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`process that includes a step of “generating from the client computer a Domain