`571-272-7822
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`Paper 23
`Entered: February 20, 2014
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`_____________
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`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`____________
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`FACEBOOK, INC., LINKEDIN CORP., and TWITTER, INC.
`Petitioners,
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`v.
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`SOFTWARE RIGHTS ARCHIVE, LLC
`Patent Owner.
`____________
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`Case IPR2013-00478 (Patent 5,544,352)
`Case IPR2013-00479 (Patent 5,832,494)
`Case IPR2013-00480 (Patent 5,832,494)
`Case IPR2013-00481 (Patent 6,233,571)1
`____________
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`Before SALLY C. MEDLEY, CHRISTOPHER L. CRUMBLEY, and
`BARBARA A. PARVIS, Administrative Patent Judges.
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`CRUMBLEY, Administrative Patent Judge.
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`DECISION
`Motions for Pro Hac Vice Admission
`37 C.F.R. § 42.10
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`1 This decision addresses issues that are identical in the four cases. Therefore, we
`exercise our discretion to issue one decision to be entered in each of the four cases.
`The parties, however, are not authorized to use this style heading in their papers.
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`IPR2013-00478 (Patent 5,544,352)
`IPR2013-00479 (Patent 5,832,494)
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`Patent Owner Software Rights Archive, LLC (“SRA”) filed motions for pro
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`IPR2013-00480 (Patent 5,832,494)
`IPR2013-00481 (Patent 6,233,571)
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`hac vice admission of Mr. Victor G. Hardy. IPR2013-00478, Paper 19; IPR2013-
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`00479, Paper 20; IPR2013-00480, Paper 20; IPR2013-00481, Paper 18.2 The
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`motions are unopposed. For reasons discussed below, the motions are granted.
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`Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(c), the Board may recognize counsel pro hac
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`vice during a proceeding upon a showing of good cause. Where the lead counsel is
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`a registered practitioner, a non-registered practitioner may be permitted to appear
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`pro hac vice “upon showing that counsel is an experienced litigating attorney and
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`has an established familiarity with the subject matter at issue in the proceeding.”
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`37 C.F.R. § 42.10(c). The Board previously authorized the parties to file motions
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`for pro hac vice, requiring that the moving party provide a statement of facts
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`showing there is good cause for the Board to recognize counsel pro hac vice and an
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`affidavit or declaration of the individual seeking to appear in this proceeding.
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`Paper 6, Notice of Filing Date Accorded to Petition, 2 (incorporating requirements
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`in the “Order – Authorizing Motion for Pro Hac Vice Admission” in IPR2013-
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`00010).3
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`In this proceeding, lead counsel for SRA is Martin M. Zoltick, a registered
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`practitioner. In the motions, SRA states that there is good cause for the Board to
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`recognize Mr. Hardy pro hac vice during this proceeding, because he is an
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`experienced patent litigation attorney with substantial experience with the patents
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`at issue in these proceedings. Paper 19, 2. For example, the motions state that Mr.
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`Hardy is counsel for SRA in related litigation involving the same patents. Id. Mr.
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`2 For expediency, IPR2013-00478 is representative and all subsequent citations are
`to IPR2013-00478 unless otherwise noted.
`3 After the Notice was entered, an expanded panel of the Board updated the
`requirements for filing a motion for pro hac vice admission. See IPR2013-00639,
`Paper 7.
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`2
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`IPR2013-00478 (Patent 5,544,352)
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`IPR2013-00479 (Patent 5,832,494)
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`Hardy submitted an affidavit attesting to, and explaining, these facts. IPR2013-
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`IPR2013-00480 (Patent 5,832,494)
`IPR2013-00481 (Patent 6,233,571)
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`00478, Ex. 2007; IPR2013-00479, Ex. 2009; IPR2013-00480, Ex. 2002; IPR2013-
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`00481, Ex. 2002. Each affidavit complies with the requirements set forth in the
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`Notice, and contains Mr. Hardy’s agreement to be subject to the Office’s Rules of
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`Professional Conduct set forth in 37 C.F.R. §§ 11.101 et seq. and disciplinary
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`jurisdiction under 37 C.F.R. § 11.19(a). Id.
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`Upon consideration, SRA has demonstrated that Mr. Hardy has sufficient
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`legal and technical qualifications to represent it in this proceeding, and the Board
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`recognizes a need for SRA to have related litigation counsel involved.
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`Accordingly, SRA has established good cause for Mr. Hardy’s admission. Mr.
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`Hardy will be permitted to appear pro hac vice in this proceeding as back-up
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`counsel only. See 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(c).
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`For the foregoing reasons, it is
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`ORDERED that Patent Owner’s motions for pro hac vice admission of Mr.
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`Victor G. Hardy for these proceedings are granted;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that Patent Owner is to continue to have a registered
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`practitioner represent it as lead counsel for these proceedings;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that Mr. Hardy is to comply with the Office Patent
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`Trial Practice Guide and the Board’s Rules of Practice for Trials, as set forth in
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`Part 42 of Title 37, Code of Federal Regulations; and
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`FURTHER ORDERED that Mr. Hardy is subject to the Office’s disciplinary
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`jurisdiction under 37 C.F.R. § 11.19(a), and the USPTO Rules of Professional
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`Conduct set forth in 37 C.F.R. §§ 11.101 et seq.
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`3
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`IPR2013-00478 (Patent 5,544,352)
`IPR2013-00479 (Patent 5,832,494)
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`FOR PETITIONERS:
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`IPR2013-00480 (Patent 5,832,494)
`IPR2013-00481 (Patent 6,233,571)
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`Heidi Keefe
`hkeefe@cooley.com
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`FOR PATENT OWNER:
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`Martin Zoltick
`mzoltick@rfem.com
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`Nancy Linck
`nlinck@rfem.com
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`4
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