`
` Entered: December 23, 2014
`
`
`
` Trials@uspto.gov
` 571-272-7822
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`UNIFIED PATENTS INC.,
`Petitioner
`
`v.
`
`DRAGON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`_______________
`
`Case IPR2014-01252
`Patent 5,930,444
`_______________
`
`Before NEIL T. POWELL and J. JOHN LEE, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`POWELL, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`
`
`ORDER
`Conduct of the Proceeding
`37 C.F.R. § 42.5
`
`
`
`IPR2014-01252
`Patent 5,930,444
`
`
`Introduction
`Petitioner contacted us seeking 1) leave to file a reply to Patent Owner’s
`Opposition (Paper 22) to Petitioner’s November 15, 2014 Motion to Seal (Paper
`12), and 2) guidance “on a way to reduce/consolidate” potential future briefing
`related to motions to seal.
`Petitioner’s Request to File a Reply to Patent Owner’s Opposition
`Petitioner’s Motion to Seal outlines substantive reasons that Petitioner
`believes evidence filed by Patent Owner should be sealed, and Patent Owner’s
`Opposition presents substantive reasons that it opposes sealing certain portions of
`this evidence. On the present record, we understand that the evidence Petitioner
`desires to seal is evidence Petitioner provided to Patent Owner through discovery
`volunteered by Petitioner. Petitioner had adequate opportunity to address the
`relevant issues, and additional briefing is not warranted on the substantive reasons
`Petitioner desires the evidence sealed. Accordingly, we do not authorize Petitioner
`to file a reply to Patent Owner’s Opposition to Petitioner’s November 15, 2014
`Motion to Seal.
`We note, however, that the present record contains ambiguity regarding
`what evidence Petitioner desires to seal. Petitioner’s Motion to Seal indicates that
`Petitioner desires to completely seal Exhibits 2001, 2003–2005, 2007–2009, 2011–
`2013, 2015, and 2016. Paper 12, 2. On the other hand, Patent Owner’s Opposition
`indicates that Petitioner does not desire to seal all parts of these exhibits. For
`example, Patent Owner’s Opposition states that Petitioner wants only the cover
`email of Exhibit 2007 sealed, not the slides included in Exhibit 2007. Paper 22, 8.
`In order to decide the dispute about sealing evidence in the exhibits listed in
`Petitioner’s Motion, we require clarity regarding which specific parts of the
`exhibits the parties have a dispute about sealing. Accordingly, we exercise our
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`Case IPR2014-01252
`Patent 5,930,444
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`authority under 37 C.F.R. § 42.5(a) and order the parties to file a joint paper
`identifying which specific portions of Exhibits 2001, 2003–2005, 2007–2009,
`2011–2013, 2015, and 2016 Petitioner requests to be sealed, and which specific
`portions of these exhibits Patent Owner opposes sealing. The joint paper shall not
`present substantive arguments regarding the merits of sealing the evidence. The
`due date for filing the joint paper is January 9, 2015.
`Petitioner’s Request for Guidance Regarding Reducing/Consolidating Briefing
`Related to Motions to Seal
`The most effective way for the parties to reduce briefing related to motions
`to seal is for the parties to collaborate to minimize disputes about sealing evidence.
`To the extent the parties may encounter additional issues that they cannot resolve
`regarding sealing evidence, the parties must continue following the normal
`processes required under our rules for handling motions to seal and any other
`related briefing. Thus, a party wishing to have evidence sealed must file a motion
`to seal.
`
`ORDER
`
`Accordingly, it is
`ORDERED that the parties shall file, by January 9, 2015, a joint paper
`explaining what specific portions of Exhibits 2001, 2003–2005, 2007–2009, 2011–
`2013, 2015, and 2016 Petitioner requests to be sealed, as well as what specific
`portions of these exhibits Patent Owner opposes sealing.
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`Case IPR2014-01252
`Patent 5,930,444
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`PETITIONER:
`
`Michael Kiklis
`cpdocketkiklis@oblon.com
`
`Katherine Cappaert
`cpdocketcappaert@oblon.com
`
`Scott McKeown
`cpdocketmckeown@oblon.com
`
`
`
`PATENT OWNER:
`
`Jason Angell
`janfell@fawlaw.com