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`ION Exhibit 1019
`WesternGeco’s Opposition to Defendant’s Motion
`for Summary Judgment
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`Pages numbered 1-5
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`Ex. PGS 1019
`(EXCERPTED)
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`Protective Order Material – Subject to Protective Order
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`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`HOUSTON DIVISION
`
`
`WESTERNGECO L.L.C.,
`
`Plaintifl,
`
`v.
`
`ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION,
`FUGRO—GEOTEAM, INC., FUGRO-GEOTEAM AS,
`FUGRO NORWAY MARINE SERVICES AS,
`FUGRO, INC., FUGRO (USA), INC.
`and FUGRO GEOSERVICES, INC,
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`Defendants.
`
`‘vvvvvvx/x/vv‘Vxe/x/‘v
`
`Civil Action No. 4:09-CV-01827
`
`Judge Keith P. Ellison
`
`Jury Trial Demanded
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`CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
`FILED UNDER SEAL
`
`WESTERNGECO’S OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR
`SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF INVALIDITY OF THE BITTLESTON PATENTS
`
`Lee L. Kaplan
`lkaplan@skv.com
`SMYSER KAPLAN
`& VESELKA, L.L.P.
`Bank of America Center
`
`700 Louisiana, Suite 2300
`Houston, TX 77002
`Tel:
`(713) 221-2323
`Fax: (713) 221-2320
`
`Attorneys for PlaintifflCounterclaim Defendant
`WesternGeca L. L. C.
`
`Of Counsel:
`
`Gregg F. LoCascio, P.C.
`gregg.locascio@kirkland.com
`KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
`
`655 Fifteenth Street, NW.
`Washington, DC. 20005—5793
`Tel.: (202) 879-5000
`Fax: (202) 879—5200
`
`Timothy K. Gilman
`timothy. gilman@kirkland.com
`Ryan Kane
`ryan.kane@kirl<land.com
`KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
`
`601 Lexington Avenue
`New York, New York 10022
`Tel.: (212) 446-4800
`Fax: (212) 446—4900
`
`Dated: April 20, 2012
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`ACCESS RESTRICTED — ATTORNEYS ONLY — USDC SDTX
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`Ex. PGS 1019Ex. PGS 1019
`Ex. PGS 1019
`WG-PGSOOOQO414
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`The ‘difi‘eremiated bird’ can be applied bmh as men-rotating" or ”rotating rel 91th
`to the streamer. In the following, the ‘nonvmtafi n3 altematlve' will be discussed.
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`(Ex. 8 at WG23898, WG23 899, WG23911, WG23922)
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`Other varieties of birds, including one, two, three, and four—wing birds as well as “freely rotating
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`birds” and “non rotating birds” are discussed throughout Dr. Bittleston’s 1995 “Nessie-4 Birds
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`Feasibility Study.” (Ex. 9 at WG1347—1349) Dr. Bittleston had built and tested such birds by
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`February 1995.
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`(Ex. 53 at W61168)
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`Much of Dr. Bittleston’s work on these lateral control devices can be seen in his PCT
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`Patent Application WO 98/28636 (“the ’636 Application”) which claims priority to a British
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`patent application filed in 1996.
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`(Ex. 10, ’636 Application) This Bittleston application teaches
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`lateral control devices as well as exemplary control system for those birds:
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`Fig 1
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`.
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`Fig.2.
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`SENSOR
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`DEPTH
`CCNTHOL
`GIHGUT
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`30
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`/
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`32
`.......A
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`.F 26
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`STARBOARD
`4 WING2‘
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`POWER PROVIDED
`ALONG STREAMER
`28
`“4..”
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`12
`' MQAELATERMW
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`Posmo“
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`QUICK RELEASE
`“were?“
`ATTACH MENT
`POSITION
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`(Ex. 10, ’636 Application at Figs. 1, 2)
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`In addition to designing these streamer positioning devices, Dr. Bittleston also worked
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`with Oyvind I‘Iillesund, another Geco engineer, on designing control systems for lateral steering.
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`(Ex. 6, Bittleston 2010 Dep. Tr. at 150:7—13, 158:7—12) These inventions are reflected, for
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`example, in Dr. Bittleston’s 1993 paper, which discloses the combination of local controllers on
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`ACCESS RESTRICTED — ATTORNEYS ONLY — USDC SDTX
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`The specification also teaches additional aspects of streamer positioning devices that
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`might be useful with specific types of streamer positioning devices, such as an inline two-winged
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`bird. For example, streamer twisting—and ways to avoid twisting—are discussed in the ’017
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`Patent’s specification.3
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`(See, e.g., Ex. 15, ’017 Patent at 725—8255) The specification also
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`explains that the wings can change orientation using electric motors, hydraulic actuators, or a
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`local control system.
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`(Id. at 5:28—37) The specification also notes that motor drivers can be
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`connected to and can actuate the wing and provides a diagram of a local control system that
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`includes such a motor driver, (Id. at 7:41253’ Fig. 4)
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`2.
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`The Bittleston Patents Teach Control Systems
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`The specification of the Bittleston Patents-in-suit also teaches control systems for using
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`streamer positioning devices to steer streamers laterally.
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`For example,
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`the specification
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`describes how to divide the control system into local and global control systems, with various
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`apportionments based on the needs of the system.
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`(Ex. 15, ’017 Patent at 3136—523, 5:54—7:5,
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`7:28—35, 8:39—10:23, Fig. 4) The specification includes references to WesternGeco US. Patent
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`4,992,990 and PCT International Publication No. WO 96/21163.4 (Id. at 3:65—42) The 1990 is
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`a patent titled “Method for Determining the Position of Seismic Streamers in a Reflection
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`Seismic Measuring System” that
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`teaches the implementation of a global controller
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`for
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`determining the position of seismic streamers.
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`(EX. 19, 9% Patent at Abstract) Such a system
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`was given as an example of position prediction software by Dr. Bittleston in his deposition.
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`(Ex.
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`6, Bittleston 2010 Dep. Tr. at 155:3—15622)
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`3 Dr. Bittleston has a separate patent for this anti-twisting function, which also claims priority to
`the ’895 Application, that is not asserted in this matter.
`(EX. 20, US Pat. No. 7,222,579)
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`4 The patent lists this application as WO 98/21163. This is a typographical error.
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`ACCESS RESTRICTED — ATTORNEYS ONLY — USDC SDTX
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`Ex. PGS 1019Ex. PGS 1019
`Ex. PGS 1019
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`a.
`a.
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`T116 Bittlfizsmn Patents Taach Acoustic Positioning Sygmmfi
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`‘I‘ht‘: Birtlesmn Patenm’ Spaaificafim teachm that knawn ways to fieterminc bird locatian
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`could be: used such as amustic pagitioning systems or GPS syfitems.
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`(Ex, 15? ’01? Patmt at
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`3:65—4zfi; Ex.
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`I. Triamafyllwu Deal. at ‘J[ 29)
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`It specifically teaches that “mm? hm‘imntal
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`pQSititms 0f the: birds 18 can be derived, fur instance, using the types 40f acmustix: pasitioning
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`symems described in (131113153, Pal. N0. 4,992,990. f
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`(Ex. 15, ‘017 Patent at 3:65PM) As ShDW
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`in the “990 Patent
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` Fig, 2'
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`ABSTRACT
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`(Ex. 19, ‘990 Patent at Fig. 7, Abstract) Defendmztg’ imp-mta Mr, Bram, agreed that the ‘990
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`Patami—igsuad February 12, IQQJWdisclased and enabled 3m amustic positioning system that
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`mum be mad with aireamer stealing:
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`Q; Have yeu reviewer} {hat “990 patient?
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`A. Yaah, 1113 (3am amusiim pawn,
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`Q: Does that disclaw and enable an acpusz‘ic positioning system far streamer
`syxtems?
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`A. That’s the gwwral concept ofit.
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`(Ex. 16, Emma Dem. Tr. at 204: l 6~22 (objections emittedj)
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`ACCESS RESTRICTED - ATTORNEYS ONLY - USDC SDTX
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`Ex. PGS 1019Ex. PGS 1019
`EX. PGS 1019
`WG-PG800090427
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