`Patent 8,155,298
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`Paper No. 45
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`________________
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`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`________________
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`BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS, LLC
`WIDEOPENWEST FINANCE, LLC
`KNOLOGY OF FLORIDA, INC.
`BIRCH COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
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`Petitioner
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`v.
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`FOCAL IP, LLC,
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`Patent Owner
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`________________
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`Case IPR2016-01259
`Patent Number: 8,155,298
`________________
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`PATENT OWNER FOCAL IP, LLC’S MOTION TO EXCLUDE
`EVIDENCE UNDER 37 C.F.R. § 42.64
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`Case IPR2016-01259
`Patent 8,155,298
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`Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.64(c), Patent Owner Focal IP, LLC hereby moves
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`Paper No. 45
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`to exclude Exhibits 1158, 1161, and portions of Exhibit 1165.
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`I.
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`PROCEDURAL HISTORY
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`Petitioners filed a petition for inter partes review on June 23, 2016 (Paper No.
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`1). Patent Owner filed a preliminary response on October 26, 2016 (Paper No. 11),
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`and Petitioners filed a reply to Patent Owner’s preliminary response on November
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`11, 2016 (Paper No. 17). The Board instituted trial on December 19, 2016 (Paper
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`No. 23). Patent Owner filed a request for rehearing on January 3, 2017 (Paper No.
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`25), which the Board denied on January 24, 2017 (Paper No. 27). Patent Owner
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`filed its Patent Owner Response on April 3, 2017 (Paper No. 33) accompanied by
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`the Declaration of Regis J. “Bud” Bates (Exhibit 2022). Petitioners filed a reply on
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`June 26, 2017 (Paper No. 35). Patent Owner filed objections to evidence submitted,
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`relied on, or cited by Petitioners in connection with their reply on June 30, 2017
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`(Paper No. 38).
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`II. ARGUMENT
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`Motions to exclude are authorized by 37 C.F.R. § 42.64(c). “The motion must
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`identify the objections in the record in order and must explain the objections.” 37
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`C.F.R. § 42.64(c). “A motion to exclude evidence must: (a) Identify where in the
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`record the objection originally was made; (b) Identify where in the record the
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`evidence sought to be excluded was relied upon by an opponent; (c) Address
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`Patent 8,155,298
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`objections to exhibits in numerical order; and (d) Explain each objection.” 77 Fed.
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`Paper No. 45
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`Reg. 48,756, 48,767 (Aug. 14, 2012).
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`The Federal Rules of Evidence apply in inter partes review proceedings. 37
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`C.F.R. § 42.62(a). Evidence is only admissible if it is relevant. Fed. R. Evid. 402.
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`“Evidence is relevant if: (a) it has any tendency to make a fact more or less probable
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`than it would be without the evidence; and (b) the fact is of consequence in
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`determining the action.” Fed. R. Evid. 401. Even if relevant, evidence may be
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`excluded “if its probative value is substantially outweighed by a danger of one or
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`more of the following: unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury,
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`undue delay, wasting time, or needlessly presenting cumulative evidence.” Fed. R.
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`Evid. 403.
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`A. Exhibit 1158 Should Be Excluded.
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`Exhibit 1158 is a copy of U.S. Patent No. 6,333,931 to LaPier (“LaPier”).
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`Petitioners rely on LaPier as a new prior art reference to support their new and
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`untimely arguments that it was well-understood to a POSA to interconnect an IP
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`network to the PSTN through a tandem switch. Paper No. 35 at 9-10. Patent Owner
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`objected to Exhibit 1158 in Paper No. 38.
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`Patent Owner moves to exclude Exhibit 1158 i as irrelevant under Rule 402.
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`The Board did not institute trial with respect to LaPier (ee Paper No. 23 at 15), nor
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`did the petition ever argue that it was well-understood to a POSA to interconnect an
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`IP network to the PSTN through a tandem switch. Petitioners improperly attempt
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`Paper No. 45
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`to use LaPier to remedy the deficiencies of the prior art Petitioners rely on in their
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`petition. The trial is limited to the arguments, evidence, and grounds raised in the
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`petition and instituted by the Board. See 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b)(5) (requiring the
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`petitioner to identify in the petition the evidence relied on to support the challenge);
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`id. § 42.108(a) (“When instituting inter partes review, the Board may authorize the
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`review to proceed on all or some of the challenged claims and on all or some of the
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`grounds of unpatentability asserted for each claim.”). Because Petitioners failed to
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`timely bring this argument or this evidence in their petition, LaPier is irrelevant.
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`Further, any probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of one
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`or more of the following: unfair prejudice, misleading the factfinders, and confusing
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`the issues. LaPier and the untimely argument it allegedly supports were not properly
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`raised in the petition. This evidence should therefore be excluded under Rule 403
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`to prevent unfair prejudice, misleading of the factfinders, and confusing of the
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`issues.
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`B.
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`Portions of Exhibit 1165 Should Be Excluded.
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`Paper No. 45
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`Exhibit 1165 is the Expert Declaration of Thomas F. La Porta that Petitioners
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`submitted in connection with their reply. Patent Owner objected to portions of
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`Exhibit 1165 in Paper No. 38.
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`Patent Owner moves to exclude paragraphs 35-37 and 42-441 and all other
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`paragraphs of Exhibit 1165 to the extent they rely, directly or indirectly, on the new
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`arguments concerning Lewis and LaPier as irrelevant under Rules 402 and 403. As
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`discussed above and below, Lewis and LaPier are irrelevant. Accordingly, Dr. La
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`Porta’s testimony regarding these new arguments and Lewis and LaPier is similarly
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`irrelevant, and should be excluded.
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`D. Exhibit 1166 Should Be Excluded.
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`Exhibit 1166 is a copy of U.S. Patent No. 6,442,169 to Lewis (“Lewis).
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`Petitioners rely on Lewis as a new prior art reference to support their new and
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`untimely arguments that it was well-understood to a POSA to interconnect an IP
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`network to the PSTN through a tandem switch. Paper No. 35 at 8-9. Patent Owner
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`objected to Exhibit 1166 in Paper No. 38.
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`1 Petitioners rely on paragraphs 35-37 and 42-44 on pages 8-12 of their reply
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`(Paper No. 35).
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`Patent Owner moves to exclude Exhibit 1166 as irrelevant under Rule 402.
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`Paper No. 45
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`The Board did not institute trial with respect to Lewis (see Paper No. 23 at 15), nor
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`did the petition ever argue that it was well-understood to a POSA to interconnect an
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`IP network to the PSTN through a tandem switch. Petitioners improperly attempt
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`to use Lewis to remedy the deficiencies of the prior art Petitioners relies on in its
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`petition. The trial is limited to the arguments, evidence, and grounds raised in the
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`petition and/or instituted by the Board. See 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b)(5) (requiring the
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`petitioner to identify in the petition the evidence relied on to support the challenge);
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`id. § 42.108(a) (“When instituting inter partes review, the Board may authorize the
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`review to proceed on all or some of the challenged claims and on all or some of the
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`grounds of unpatentability asserted for each claim.”). Because Petitioners failed to
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`timely bring this argument or evidence in their petition, Lewis is irrelevant under
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`Rule 402.
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`Further, any probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger by one
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`or more of the following: unfair prejudice, misleading the factfinders, and confusing
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`the issues. Lewis and the untimely argument it allegedly supports were not properly
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`raised in the petition. This evidence should therefore be excluded under Rule 403
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`to prevent unfair prejudice, misleading of the factfinders, and confusing of the
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`issues.
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`Case IPR2016-01259
`Patent 8,155,298
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`Dated: August 21, 2017
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`Paper No. 45
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`Respectfully Submitted,
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`/s/ Brent N. Bumgardner
`Brent N. Bumgardner
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`Registration No. 48,476
`NELSON BUMGARDNER, P.C.
`3131 W. 7th Street, Suite 300
`Fort Worth, Texas 76107
`Telephone: (817) 377-3490
`Email: brent@nelbum.com
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`I hereby certify that on this 21st day of August 2017, a copy of Patent Owner
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`FOCAL IP, LLC’s Motion to Exclude Evidence under 37 C.F.R. § 42.64 has been
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`served in its entirety via email on the following:
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`Wayne Stacy
`BAKER BOTTS L.L.P.
`2001 Ross Avenue
`Dallas, TX 75201
`Phone: (214) 953-6678
`Facsimile: (214) 661-4678
`wayne.stacy@bakerbotts.com
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`Sarah J. Guske
`BAKER BOTTS L.L.P.
`101 California Street, #3070
`San Francisco, CA 94111
`Phone: (415) 291-6205
`Facsimile: (415) 291-6305
`sarah.guske@bakerbotts.com
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`Paper No. 45
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`Case IPR2016-01259
`Patent 8,155,298
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`May Eaton
`BAKER BOTTS L.L.P.
`1001 Page Mill Road
`Building One, Suite 200
`Palo Alto, CA 94304
`Phone: (650) 739-7520
`Facsimile: (650) 739-7620
`may.eaton@bakerbotts.com
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`Patrick McPherson
`Duane Morris LLP
`505 9th St. NW, Ste 1000
`Washington DC 20004
`Tel: 202-776-5214
`Fax: 202-776-7801
`PDMcPherson@duanemorris.com
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`Christopher Tyson
`Duane Morris LLP
`505 9th St. NW, Ste 1000
`Washington DC 20004
`Tel: 202-776-7851
`Fax: 202-776-7801
`CJTyson@duanemorris.com
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`Kyle Lynn Elliott
`Spencer Fane LLP
`1000 Walnut, Suite 1400
`Kansas City, MO 64106
`Tel: 816-292-8150
`Fax: 816-474-3216
`sfbbaction@spencerfane.com
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`Case IPR2016-01259
`Patent 8,155,298
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`Dated: August 21, 2017
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`Paper No. 45
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`Respectfully Submitted,
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`/s/ Brent N. Bumgardner
`Brent N. Bumgardner
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`Registration No. 48,476
`NELSON BUMGARDNER, P.C.
`3131 W. 7th Street, Suite 300
`Fort Worth, Texas 76107
`Telephone: (817) 377-3490
`Email: brent@nelbum.com
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