`
`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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`__________________
`
`
`NJOY, INC., CB DISTRIBUTORS, INC.,
`DR DISTRIBUTORS, LLC, FIN BRANDING GROUP, LLC,
`ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LTD.,
`f/k/a VICTORY ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES CORPORATION,
`and, LOGIC TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, LLC,
`Petitioners,
`
`v.
`
`FONTEM HOLDINGS 1 B.V.,
`Patent Owner
`
`__________________
`
`
`
`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`
`__________________
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`
`
`PATENT OWNER’S MANDATORY NOTICES
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`
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`
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`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
`
`
`
`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`Patent Owner’s Attorney Docket No. 111971-0019
`
`
`Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.8, Patent Owner, Fontem Holdings 1 B.V.
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`submits the following Mandatory Notices in response to the Petition for Inter
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`Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,893,726 (“the ’726 patent”).
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`1. Real Party-In-Interest
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`In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(1), Patent Owner identifies the real
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`party-in interest as Fontem Holdings 1 B.V.; 12th Floor, Barbara Strozzilaan 101;
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`1083 HN Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. is a
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`Netherlands corporation and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fontem Ventures
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`B.V. also of 12th Floor, Barbara Strozzilaan 101; 1083 HN Amsterdam, The
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`Netherlands, which is in turn a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco
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`Group PLC. Imperial Tobacco Group PLC is an English corporation having a
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`registered office at 121 Winterstoke Road, Bristol, UK BS3 2LL. Fontem
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`Holdings 1 B.V. became the Patent Owner via an assignment executed December
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`9, 2013.
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`2. Related Matters
`
`In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(2), Patent Owner identifies the
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`following related judicial proceedings (involving, among other patents, the ’726
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`patent and U.S. Patent Nos. 8,393,331 and 8,490,628 which are priority cases to
`
`the ’726 patent).
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`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
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`1
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`
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`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`Patent Owner’s Attorney Docket No. 111971-0019
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`a. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. NJOY, Inc.,
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`Civil Action No. 14-CV-1645 GW (MRWx), U.S. District Court for the Central
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`District of California;
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`b. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. CB
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`Distributors, Inc. and DR Distributors, LLC, Civil Action No. 14-CV-1649 GW
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`(MRWx), U.S. District Court for the Central District of California;
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`c. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. Vapor Corp.,
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`Civil Action No. 14-CV-1650 GW (MRWx), U.S. District Court for the Central
`
`District of California;
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`d. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. FIN Branding
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`Group, LLC and Victory Electronic Cigarettes Corporation, Civil Action No. 14-
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`CV-1651 GW (MRWx), U.S. District Court for the Central District of California;
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`e. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. Ballantyne
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`Brands, LLC, Civil Action No. 14-CV-1652 GW (MRWx), U.S. District Court for
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`the Central District of California;
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`f. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. Spark
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`Industries, LLC, Civil Action No. 14-CV-1653 GW (MRWx), U.S. District Court
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`for the Central District of California;
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`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
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`2
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`
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`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`Patent Owner’s Attorney Docket No. 111971-0019
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`g. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. Logic
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`Technology Development LLC, Civil Action No. 14-CV-1654 GW (MRWx), U.S.
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`District Court for the Central District of California;
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`h. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. VMR Products,
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`LLC, dba V2Cigs, Civil Action No. 14-CV-1655 GW (MRWx), U.S. District Court
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`for the Central District of California;
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`i. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. NJOY, INC.,
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`Civil Action No. CV14-8144, U.S. District Court for the Central District of
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`California;
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`j. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. CB
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`Distributors, Inc., an Illinois corporation and DR distributors, LLC, dba 21st
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`Century Smoke, LLC, Civil Action No. CV14-8154, U.S. District Court for the
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`Central District of California;
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`k. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. Vapor Corp.,
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`Civil Action No. CV14-8155, U.S. District Court for the Central District of
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`California;
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`l. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. FIN Branding
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`Group, LLC and Electronic Cigarettes International Group, Ltd., Civil Action No.
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`CV14-8156, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California;
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`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
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`3
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`
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`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`Patent Owner’s Attorney Docket No. 111971-0019
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`m. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. Ballantyne
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`Brands, LLC, Civil Action No. CV14-8157, U.S. District Court for the Central
`
`District of California;
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`n. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. Spark
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`Industries, LLC, Civil Action No. CV14-8158, U.S. District Court for the Central
`
`District of California;
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`o. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. Logic
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`Technology Development LLC, Civil Action No. CV14-8160, U.S. District Court
`
`for the Central District of California; and
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`p. Fontem Ventures B.V. and Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. v. VMR Products,
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`LLC, dba V2CIGS, Civil Action No. CV14-8161, U.S. District Court for the
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`Central District of California.
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`In addition, Patent Owner identifies the following related administrative
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`matters pursuant to the Federal Register Vol. 77, No. 157, Final Rule, issued
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`August 14, 2012 at page 48617: “Examples of related administrative matters that
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`will be affected by a decision in the proceeding include every application and
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`patent that claims, or which may claim, the benefit of the priority of the filing
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`date of the party’s involved patent or application, as well as any ex parte and inter
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`partes reexaminations for an involved patent.”
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`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
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`4
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`
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`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`Patent Owner’s Attorney Docket No. 111971-0019
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`q. U.S. Patent No. 7,832,410, issued November 16, 2010 to Lik Hon,
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`filed March 9, 2007 as U.S. Patent Application No. 10/587,707, which is a priority
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`case to the ‘726 patent;
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`r. U.S. Patent No. 8,393,331, issued March 12, 2013 to Lik Hon, filed
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`November 11, 2010 as U.S. Patent Application No. 12/944,123, which is a priority
`
`case to the ‘726 patent;
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`s. U.S. Patent No. 8,490,628, issued July 23, 2013 to Lik Hon, filed July
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`27, 2012 as U.S. Patent Application No.13/560,789, which is a priority case to the
`
`‘726 patent;
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`t. U.S. Application Pub. No. US 2015-0128974 A1 by Lik Hon, filed
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`October 27, 2014 as U.S. Patent Application No. 14/525,066, which claims the
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`benefit of the filing date of the ‘726 patent;
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`u. U.S. Application No. 14/719,061 by Lik Hon, filed May 21, 2015 and
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`not yet published, which claims the benefit of the filing date of the ‘726 patent;
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`v. U.S. Application No. 14/719/923 by Lik Hon, filed May 22, 2015 and
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`not yet published, which claims the benefit of the filing date of the ‘726 patent;
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`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
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`5
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`
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`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`Patent Owner’s Attorney Docket No. 111971-0019
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`w. Inter Partes Review No. IPR2014-01289 of U.S. Patent No. 8,393,331
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`(item r. above) before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board at the U.S. Patent Office,
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`filed August 14, 2014 by Petitioner NJOY, Inc.; and
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`x. Inter Partes Review No. IPR2014-01300 of U.S. Patent No. 8,490,628
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`(item s. above) before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board at the U.S. Patent Office,
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`filed August 15, 2014 by Petitioner NJOY, Inc.
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`3. Lead and Back-Up Counsel
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`In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(3), Patent Owner identifies Michael
`
`J. Wise as lead counsel and Joseph P. Hamilton as back-up counsel:
`
`Michael J. Wise,
`Lead Counsel
`USPTO Reg. No. 34,047
`PERKINS COIE LLP
`1888 Century Park East, Suite 1700
`Los Angeles, CA 90067
`Phone: 310-788-3210
`Facsimile: 310-788-3399
`Email: MWise@perkinscoie.com
`
`
`Joseph P. Hamilton,
`Backup Counsel
`USPTO Reg. No. 51,770
`PERKINS COIE LLP
`1888 Century Park East, Suite 1700
`Los Angeles, CA 90067
`Phone: 310-788-3271
`Facsimile: 310-788-3399
`Email: JHamilton@perkinscoie.com
`
`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
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`6
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`
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`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`Patent Owner’s Attorney Docket No. 111971-0019
`
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`4.
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`Service Information
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`In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(4), Patent Owner identifies the
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`following service information. Counsel for Patent Owner consents to service of
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`all documents via electronic mail:
`
`
`Post and Hand Delivery:
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`Electronic Mail:
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`
`
`Date: June 19, 2015
`
`Patent Docketing
`PERKINS COIE LLP
`P.O. Box 1247
`Seattle, WA 98111-1247
`patentprocurement@perkinscoie.com
`MWise@perkinscoie.com
`JHamilton@perkinscoie.com
`ACandeloro@perkinscoie.com
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`
`By: / Joseph P. HAMILTON /
`Joseph P. Hamilton, Reg. No. 51,770
`Perkins Coie LLP
`1888 Century Park East, Suite 1700
`Los Angeles, CA 90067
`Phone: 310-788-3210
`Facsimile: 310-788-3399
`JHamilton@perkinscoie.com
`Counsel for Patent Owner
`
`
`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
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`7
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`
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`Case IPR2015-01302
`Patent 8,893,726 B2
`Patent Owner’s Attorney Docket No. 111971-0019
`
`
`
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`I certify that on June 19, 2015, I served a copy of the foregoing
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`PATENT OWNER’S MANDATORY NOTICES via electronic mail upon
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`the following counsel of record for Petitioners NJOY, Inc.; CB Distributors,
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`Inc.; DR Distributors, LLC; FIN Branding Group, LLC; Electronic
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`Cigarettes International Group, Ltd. f/k/a Victory Electronic Cigarettes
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`Corporation; and Logic Technology Development LLC:
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`James H. Morris, Lead Counsel
`Edmund J. Walsh, , Backup Counsel
`Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.
`600 Atlantic Avenue
`Boston, MA 02210-2206
`
`JMorris-PTAB@wolfgreenfield.com
`EWalsh-PTAB@wolfgreenfield.com
`
`
`
` /Amy Candeloro/
`Amy Candeloro
`Paralegal
`Perkins Coie LLP
`
`
`
`
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`111971-0019/LEGAL126551413.1
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`