`Entered: October 20, 2017
`571-272-7822
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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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`WEATHERFORD INTERNATIONAL, LLC,
`WEATHERFORD /LAMB, INC., WEATHERFORD US, LP, and
`WEATHERFORD ARTIFICIAL LIFT SYSTEMS, LLC,
`Petitioner,
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`v.
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`PACKERS PLUS ENERGY SERVICES, INC.,
`Patent Owner.
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`Case IPR2016-01509 (Patent 7,861,774 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01514 (Patent 7,543,634 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01517 (Patent 7,134,505 B2)1
`____________
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`Before SCOTT A. DANIELS, NEIL T. POWELL and
`CARL M. DEFRANCO, Administrative Patent Judges.
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`POWELL, Administrative Patent Judge.
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`
`ORDER
`Trial Hearing
`35 U.S.C. § 316(a)(10) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.70
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`1 This Order applies to all three cases. The parties are not authorized
`to use this style heading for any subsequent papers.
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`
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`Case IPR2016-01509 (Patent 7,861,774 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01514 (Patent 7,543,634 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01517 (Patent 7,134,505 B2)
`Petitioner and Patent Owner requested a hearing in these proceedings,
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`pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.70(a). See IPR2016-01509, Papers 43, 45;
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`IPR2016-01514, Papers 43, 45; IPR2016-01517, Papers 43, 45.
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`The parties’ requests for a hearing are granted. One consolidated
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`hearing will be conducted for all three cases. Patent Owner’s requests for
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`oral hearing raise the issue of whether live testimony will be conducted for
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`these cases. See IPR2016-01509, Paper 45, 1. Live testimony will not be
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`conducted for these cases.
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`The hearing will commence at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November
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`2, 2017. Petitioner will have 45 minutes of total argument time. Patent
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`Owner will also have 45 minutes of total argument time. The parties may
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`use their allotted argument time as they choose, provided that the order of
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`arguments presented will be as follows.
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`Because Petitioner bears the ultimate burden of proof (see 35 U.S.C.
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`§ 316(e)), Petitioner will proceed first to present its case with regard to the
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`challenged claims on which basis we instituted trial. Thereafter, Patent
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`Owner may respond to Petitioner’s arguments. Subsequently, Petitioner
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`may use any unused portion of its 45 minutes to respond to Patent Owner’s
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`arguments.
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`The hearing will be open to the public for in-person attendance on the
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`ninth floor of Madison Building East, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria,
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`Virginia. In-person attendance at the hearing will be accommodated on a
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`first-come, first-served basis. If the parties have any concern about
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`disclosing confidential information, they are to contact the Board no later
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`than two days prior to the hearing to discuss the matter. The Board will
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`
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`Case IPR2016-01509 (Patent 7,861,774 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01514 (Patent 7,543,634 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01517 (Patent 7,134,505 B2)
`provide a court reporter for the hearing, and the reporter’s transcripts will
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`constitute the official record of the hearing.
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`Under 37 C.F.R. § 42.70(b), demonstrative exhibits must be served
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`five business days prior to the hearing. The parties shall confer with each
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`other regarding any objections to demonstrative exhibits in each proceeding,
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`and email demonstrative exhibits to the Board at least two business days
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`prior to the hearing. For any issue that cannot be resolved after conferring
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`with the opposing party, the parties may file jointly a one-page list of
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`objections at least two business days prior to the hearing. The list should
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`identify with particularity which demonstrative exhibits are subject to
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`objection and include a short statement (no more than one sentence) of the
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`reason for each objection. No argument or further explanation is permitted.
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`We will consider the objections and schedule a conference call if necessary.
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`Otherwise, we will reserve ruling on the objections until the hearing or after
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`the hearing. Any objection to demonstrative exhibits that is not presented
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`timely will be considered waived.
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`Demonstrative exhibits are not evidence, but merely a visual aid
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`for use at the hearing. Demonstrative exhibits may not introduce new
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`evidence or arguments. Instead, demonstrative exhibits should cite to
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`evidence already in the record. The parties are directed to CBS Interactive
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`Inc. v. Helferich Patent Licensing, LLC, IPR2013-00033, slip op. at 2–5
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`(PTAB Oct. 23, 2013) (Paper 118), regarding the appropriate content of
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`demonstrative exhibits. The parties are reminded that the presenter must
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`identify clearly and specifically each demonstrative exhibit (e.g., by slide or
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`screen number) referenced during the hearing to ensure the clarity and
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`accuracy of the reporter’s transcripts. The parties also should note that at
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`3
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`Case IPR2016-01509 (Patent 7,861,774 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01514 (Patent 7,543,634 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01517 (Patent 7,134,505 B2)
`least one member of the panel will be attending the hearing electronically
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`from a remote location. If a demonstrative exhibit is not made fully
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`available or visible to the judge participating remotely, that demonstrative
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`exhibit will not be considered.
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`The Board expects lead counsel for Petitioners and Patent Owner to
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`be present at the hearing, although any back-up counsel may make the actual
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`presentation, in whole or in part. If lead counsel for a party will not be in
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`attendance at the hearing, the Board should be notified via a joint conference
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`call no later than two days prior to the hearing to discuss the matter.
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`Requests for audio-visual equipment at the hearing are to be made
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`five days in advance of the hearing date. The requests must be sent to
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`Trials@uspto.gov. If the requests are not received timely, equipment may
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`not be available on the day of the hearing. Further, if the parties have
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`questions as to whether demonstrative exhibits would be sufficiently visible
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`and available to all of the judges, the parties are invited to contact the Board
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`at 571-272-9797.
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`4
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`Case IPR2016-01509 (Patent 7,861,774 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01514 (Patent 7,543,634 B2)
`Case IPR2016-01517 (Patent 7,134,505 B2)
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`PETITIONER:
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`Jason Shapiro
`js@usiplaw.com
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`Patrick Finnan
`pjf@usiplaw.com
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`PATENT OWNER:
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`Hamad Hamad
`hhamad@caldwellcc.com
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`Gregory Gonsalves
`gonsalves@gonsalveslawfirm.com
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`5
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