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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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`FACEBOOK, INC.
`Petitioner
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`v.
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`WINDY CITY INNOVATIONS LLC
`Patent Owner
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`Patent No. 8,694,657
`Issued: April 8, 2014
`Filed: September 20, 1999
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`Title: REAL TIME COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
`____________________
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW
` OF U.S. PATENT NO. 8,694,657
`
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`
`
`Table of Contents
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`Page
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`
`
`I.
`II.
`
`III.
`
`INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1
`COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR A PETITION FOR
`INTER PARTES REVIEW ............................................................................ 1
`A. Grounds for Standing (§ 42.104(a)) ..................................................... 1
`B.
`Fee for Inter Partes Review (§ 42.15(a)) .............................................. 2
`C. Mandatory Notices (37 CFR § 42.8(b)) ............................................... 2
`D.
`Service Information .............................................................................. 3
`E.
`Related Matters ..................................................................................... 3
`F.
`Power of Attorney ................................................................................ 5
`IDENTIFICATION OF CLAIMS BEING CHALLENGED
`(§ 42.104(b)) ................................................................................................... 5
`IV. RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PATENT ................. 5
`A.
`Effective Filing Date ............................................................................ 5
`B.
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art ...................................................... 6
`C.
`The ’657 Patent .................................................................................... 6
`1.
`Technical Overview ................................................................... 6
`2.
`Prosecution History .................................................................... 8
`Construction of Terms Used in the Claims .......................................... 9
`1.
`“an Internet network” ................................................................. 9
`2.
`“token” ..................................................................................... 10
`3.
`“authenticated [first/second] user identity” and
`“[first/second] authenticated user identity” ............................. 11
`“pointer” ................................................................................... 12
`4.
`“multimedia” ............................................................................ 13
`5.
`PRECISE REASONS FOR RELIEF REQUESTED ................................... 14
`A. U.S. Patent No. 5,941,947 to Brown et al. (“Brown”) (Ex.1012) ...... 14
`B. Donath et al, The Sociable Web, (“Sociable Web”) (Ex.1019) ......... 17
`
`D.
`
`V.
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`-i-
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`Table of Contents
`(continued)
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`Page
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`
`
`C.
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`Independent Claims 189 and 465 Are Unpatentable Over
`Brown in View of the Sociable Web .................................................. 18
`1.
`Claim 189 Is Unpatentable ....................................................... 18
`2.
`Claim 465 Is Unpatentable ....................................................... 35
`VI. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 35
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`-ii-
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`
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`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
` Page(s)
`
`Cases
`Facebook, Inc. v. Windy City Innovations, LLC,
`Case IPR2016-01156 (PTAB June 3, 2016) ......................................................... 4
`Facebook, Inc. v. Windy City Innovations, LLC,
`Case IPR2016-01157 (PTAB June 3, 2016) ......................................................... 4
`Facebook, Inc. v. Windy City Innovations, LLC,
`Case IPR2016-01158 (PTAB June 3, 2016) ......................................................... 4
`Facebook, Inc. v. Windy City Innovations, LLC,
`Case IPR2016-01159 (PTAB June 3, 2016) ......................................................... 4
`Microsoft Corporation v. Windy City Innovations, LLC,
`Case IPR2016-01067 (PTAB June 3, 2016) ......................................................... 4
`Microsoft Corporation v. Windy City Innovations, LLC,
`Case IPR2016-01141 (PTAB June 3, 2016) ......................................................... 4
`Microsoft Corporation v. Windy City Innovations, LLC,
`Case IPR2016-01155 (PTAB June 3, 2016) ......................................................... 4
`Phillips v. AWH Corp.,
`415 F. 3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2005) ..................................................................passim
`In re Rambus Inc.
`753 F.3d 1253 (Fed. Cir. 2014) ............................................................................ 9
`Süd-Chemie, Inc. v. Multisorb Technologies, Inc.,
`554 F.3d 1001 (Fed. Cir. 2009) .......................................................................... 22
`Windy City Innovations, LLC v. Facebook, Inc.,
`Case No. 4:16-cv-01730-YGR ............................................................................. 3
`Windy City Innovations, LLC v. Microsoft Corporation,
`Case No. 4:16-cv-01729-YGR ............................................................................. 3
`
`-iii-
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
`
`Statutes
`35 U.S.C. § 102(b) ................................................................................................... 17
`35 U.S.C. § 102(e) ................................................................................................... 14
`35 U.S.C. § 103 .......................................................................................................... 5
`35 U.S.C. § 311 .......................................................................................................... 1
`35 U.S.C. § 312(a)(1) ................................................................................................. 2
`35 U.S.C. § 315(c) ................................................................................................. 1, 4
`37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b) .................................................................................................. 5
`37 C.F.R. § 42.15(a) ................................................................................................... 2
`37 C.F.R. § 42.100 ..................................................................................................... 1
`37 C.F.R. § 42.101(b) ................................................................................................ 2
`37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b) ................................................................................................ 5
`37 C.F.R. § 42.122(b) ........................................................................................ 1, 2, 5
`37 C.F.R. § 42.22 ................................................................................................... 1, 4
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`-iv-
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`LIST OF EXHIBITS
`
`1003
`
`Exhibit # Reference Name
`U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
`1001
`File History of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
`1002
`Expert Declaration of Christopher Schmandt, filed as Ex. 1003 in
`Microsoft Corporation v. Windy City Innovations LLC, Case IPR2016-
`01155
`Curriculum Vitae of Christopher Schmandt
`1004
`1005 Mosaic Quick Tour for Windows
`RFC 1459
`1006
`Inside Windows 95
`1007
`Inside Windows NT
`1008
`1009 MS Dictionary
`Newton’s Dictionary
`1010
`RFC 1738
`1011
`U.S. Patent No. 5,941,947 (“Brown”)
`1012
`[Reserved]
`1013
`1014 WWW Fall 94 Trip Report
`[Reserved]
`1015
`1016 WWW Fall 94 CSCW Papers
`Expert Report of Bruce M. Maggs
`1017
`“MUD Wrestling on the Internet,” Boardwatch Magazine (Sep. 1994)
`1018
`Donath et al., The Sociable Web (“Sociable Web”)
`1019
`Donath Decl. – Email compilation
`1020
`Donath Decl. – Second Int’l WWW Conference
`1021
`U.S. Patent No. 5,774,668
`1022
`1023 Win32 Programmer’s Reference
`The Microsoft Network Tour Guide
`1024
`Computer Gaming World (May 1993)
`1025
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`Exhibit # Reference Name
`[Reserved]
`1026
`The Whole Internet User’s Guide
`1027
`Growing and Maintaining a Successful BBS
`1028
`“Galacticomm Announces Internet Connectivity Option,” Boardwatch
`1029
`Magazine (Sep. 1994)
`Archived Sociable Web
`1030
`Donath Declaration, filed as Ex. 1031 in Microsoft Corporation v.
`1031
`Windy City Innovations LLC, Case IPR2016-01155
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`-vi-
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 311 and 37 C.F.R. § 42.100, Petitioner Facebook,
`
`Inc. (“Facebook”) respectfully requests inter partes review of claims 189 and 465
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`of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657 (“’657 Patent”). Facebook is filing concurrently
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`herewith a Motion for Joinder pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 315(c) and 37 C.F.R. §§
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`42.22 and 42.122(b), requesting that the Board institute inter partes review and
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`join the present proceeding with pending IPR2016-01155 as to these two claims.
`
`The Examiner of the ’657 Patent allowed the patent due to one limitation:
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`“wherein the facilitating receiving the communications that are sent from the
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`second participator computer to the first participator computer includes facilitating
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`receiving communications that include an Internet URL, and further including
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`handling the Internet URL via the controller computer system so as to find content
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`specified to by the Internet URL, and facilitating presenting the content at the
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`output device.” Ex.1002 at 420. Because, as shown below, the prior art discloses
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`this conventional functionality regarding handling a URL, which was the basis for
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`allowing all of the claims of the ’657 Patent allowable, the claims of the ’657
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`Patent challenged herein are unpatentable.
`
`II. COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR A PETITION FOR
`INTER PARTES REVIEW
`A. Grounds for Standing (§ 42.104(a))
`Facebook certifies that the ’657 Patent is available for inter partes review,
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`-1-
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`and that Facebook is not barred or estopped from requesting an inter partes review
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`challenging the patent claims on the grounds identified in this petition. See also 37
`
`CFR § 42.122(b) (“The time period set forth in § 42.101(b) shall not apply when
`
`the petition is accompanied by a request for joinder”).
`
`Fee for Inter Partes Review (§ 42.15(a))
`B.
`This Petition requests review of two (2) claims of the ’657 Patent.
`
`Accordingly, a payment of $23,000 is submitted herewith. This payment is
`
`calculated based on a $9,000 request fee, and a post-institution fee of $14,000. See
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`37 C.F.R. § 42.15(a). This Petition meets the fee requirements of 35 U.S.C. §
`
`312(a)(1).
`
`C. Mandatory Notices (37 CFR § 42.8(b))
`The real party of interest of this petition is Facebook, Inc. (“Facebook”).
`
`Lead and backup lead counsel are as follows:
`
`LEAD COUNSEL
`
`BACK-UP COUNSEL
`
`Heidi L. Keefe (Reg. No. 40,673)
`hkeefe@cooley.com
`COOLEY LLP
`ATTN: Patent Group
`1299 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 700
`Washington, DC 20004
`Tel: (650) 843-5001
`Fax: (650) 849-7400
`
`Phillip E. Morton (Reg. No. 57,835)
`pmorton@cooley.com
`COOLEY LLP
`ATTN: Patent Group
`1299 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 700
`Washington D.C. 20004
`T: (703) 456-8668
`F: (703) 456-8100
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`
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`Andrew C. Mace (Reg. No. 63,342)
`amace@cooley.com
`COOLEY LLP
`ATTN: Patent Group
`1299 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 700
`Washington, DC 20004
`Tel: (650) 843-5808
`Fax: (650) 849-7400
`
`Service Information
`D.
`This Petition is being served to the current correspondence address for the
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`’657 patent, PETER K. TRZYNA, ESQ., P.O. Box 7141, Chicago, IL 60680. The
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`Petitioner may be served at the addresses provided above for lead and back-up
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`counsel, and consents to electronic service at those addresses, including service
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`email address: FB_WindyCity_PTAB_IPR@cooley.com.
`
`E. Related Matters
`Windy City Innovations, LLC (“Windy City”) asserted the ’657 Patent (Ex.
`
`1001) against Facebook in a suit filed June 2, 2015, and served June 3, 2015, now
`
`styled, Windy City Innovations, LLC v. Facebook, Inc., Case No. 4:16-cv-01730-
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`YGR, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California,
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`Oakland Division. Windy City Innovations, LLC v. Microsoft Corporation, Case
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`No. 4:16-cv-01729-YGR, involving the ’657 patent is also pending in the U.S.
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`District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Division.
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`In addition, the ’657 Patent and related patents are currently the subject of
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`the following instituted IPR proceedings:
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`• Microsoft Corporation v. Windy City Innovations, LLC, Case IPR2016-
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`01155 (PTAB June 3, 2016) (challenging the ’657 Patent);
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`• Facebook, Inc. v. Windy City Innovations, LLC, Case IPR2016-01159
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`(PTAB June 3, 2016) (challenging the ’657 Patent);
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`• Facebook, Inc. v. Windy City Innovations, LLC, Case IPR2016-01156
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`(PTAB June 3, 2016) (challenging related U.S. Patent No. 8,458,245 (“’245
`
`Patent”));
`
`• Microsoft Corporation v. Windy City Innovations, LLC, Case IPR2016-
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`01141 (PTAB June 3, 2016) (challenging the ’245 Patent);
`
`• Facebook, Inc. v. Windy City Innovations, LLC, Case IPR2016-01157
`
`(PTAB June 3, 2016) (challenging related U.S. Patent No. 8,407,356 (“’356
`
`Patent”));
`
`• Microsoft Corporation v. Windy City Innovations, LLC, Case IPR2016-
`
`01067 (PTAB June 3, 2016) (challenging the ’356 Patent); and
`
`• Facebook, Inc. v. Windy City Innovations, LLC, Case IPR2016-01158
`
`(PTAB June 3, 2016) (challenging related U.S. Patent No. 8,473,552).
`
`The ’356 Patent is also the subject of a concurrently filed petition for inter
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`partes review (“the ’356 Petition”) and motion for joinder pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §
`
`315(c) and 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.22 and 42.122(b), requesting that the Board institute
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`-4-
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`inter partes review and join the ’356 Petition with pending proceeding IPR2016-
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`01067.
`
`Power of Attorney
`F.
`Filed concurrently in accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b).
`
`III.
`
`Identification of Claims Being Challenged (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b))
`Independent claims 189 and 465 of the ’657 Patent (collectively the
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`“Petition Claims”) are unpatentable over the prior art. Specifically, the Petition
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`Claims of the ’657 Patent are obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over U.S. Patent No.
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`5,941,947 to Brown et al. (“Brown”), attached hereto as Ex.1012, in view of Judith
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`S. Donath et al., The Sociable Web, (“Sociable Web”), attached hereto as Ex.1019.
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`Petitioner’s proposed construction of the contested claims, the evidence
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`relied upon, and the reasons why the claims are unpatentable are provided in § IV,
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`below.
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`IV. Relevant Information Concerning the Patent
`A. Effective Filing Date
`The ’657 Patent issued from U.S. Application No. 09/399,578 filed on
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`September 20, 1999. Ex.1001(at 1). The ’578 Application is a continuation of
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`Application No. 08/617,658, which was filed on April 1, 1996. Id. The effective
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`filing date of the claims of the ’657 Patent is no earlier than April 1, 1996.
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`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art
`B.
`A person of ordinary skill in the art for the ’657 Patent in 1996 would have
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`been a person with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, or
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`equivalent, with at least two years’ experience designing and programming
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`distributed multimedia computer systems, including experience with
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`teleconferencing and on-line chat systems, such as on-line bulletin boards. Such a
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`person would also be familiar with the prior art systems described in the ’657
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`Patent’s “Background of the Invention” section. Ex.1003(¶140).
`
`C. The ’657 Patent
`Technical Overview
`1.
`The ’657 Patent is directed to a computerized system with participator
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`computers (shown in red in annotated Figure 1 below) and a controller computer
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`(green) linked by way of a network for communications (blue) involving groups of
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`some of the participator computers. Ex.1001(1:12-18; 2:11-17). The controller
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`computer is programmed “to arbitrate in accordance with predefined rules
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`including said user identity, which ones of the participator computers can interact
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`in one of a plurality of groups communicating through the controller computer and
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`to distribute real time data to the respective ones of the groups.” Id. (2:18-24;
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`Fig.1; 4:36-5:16).
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`Ex.1001(Fig.1).
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`The ’657 Patent also explains that “participator software” (yellow) runs on
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`each of the participator computers to permit users to interact with the system and
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`“to send and/or receive a multimedia information message[s] to the controller
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`computer, which arbitrates which of the participator computers receives the
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`multimedia information message.” Ex.1001(2:25-39). The controller computer
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`stores “tokens” in a database, “which are pieces of information associated with
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`user identity” and which “can be by user, group, and content.” Ex.1001(7:49-59).
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`The controller computer uses tokens to control communication among the
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`participator computers, including “what is said in a group,” which the patent refers
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`to as “censorship.” Id.(8:10-33).
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`The ’657 Patent discloses that multimedia information is communicated by
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`way of “pointers” such as URLs. Ex.1001(5:11-16; 10:18-43). Other than sending
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`multimedia as URLs pointing to pre-stored files, the ’657 Patent identifies no other
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`way of sending multimedia. Ex.1003(¶67).
`
`Prosecution History
`2.
`The ’657 Patent issued from U.S. Application No. 09/399,578, filed on
`
`September 20, 1999 and claiming priority as a continuation from an application
`
`filed on April 1, 1996. Ex.1001(at 1). During prosecution, among other rejections,
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`various claims were finally rejected as obvious over Brown in view of Tarau et al.,
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`LogiMOO: an Extensible Multi-user Virtual World with Natural Language
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`Control. Ex.1002(at 846-56). Simultaneously, the examiner noted that certain
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`claims, including claim 18, were objected to, but would be allowable if rewritten in
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`independent form. Id.(at 845). The applicant responded by submitting an
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`amendment and a declaration by Dr. Hollaar arguing that Brown does not disclose
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`“in the communications,” the examiner improperly combined the separate steps of
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`forming groups and censoring, and the motivation to modify Brown provided by
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`the Examiner was improper. Id.(at 669-33). After receiving a subsequent final
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`office action, the applicant amended each independent claim to include the
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`limitation of objected claim 18 regarding handling receiving a URL. Id. (at 204-
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`374). Based upon these amendments, the Examiner allowed the claims. Id. (at
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`845-46; 149-57).
`
`D. Construction of Terms Used in the Claims
`In this proceeding, as the ’657 Patent has expired, the claims must be
`
`interpreted in accord with Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F. 3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2005).
`
`See In re Rambus Inc. 753 F.3d 1253, 1256 (Fed. Cir. 2014).1
`
`“an Internet network”
`1.
`Under Phillips, the meaning of “an Internet network” is a network connected
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`to the Internet. Ex.1003(¶¶110-114).
`
`
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`1 For consistency in view of Facebook’s Motion for Joinder, this Petition states the
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`same claim interpretations herein that were stated in the original Petition in
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`IPR2016-01155. Facebook also maintains the positions it has set forth in other
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`pending inter partes review proceedings regarding the ’657 Patent and related
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`patents, for purposes of those proceedings. Facebook does not believe that there is
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`any material difference between the stated positions for purposes of the respective
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`proceedings.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 8,694,657
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`The ’657 claims recite “an Internet network.” This is different from simply
`
`“the Internet,” which a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand to mean
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`a network of networks. Ex.1005(Mosaic Quick Tour for Windows) at 8; Ex.1003
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`(¶111). Interpreting “an Internet network” to mean simply “the Internet” would
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`read “network” out of the claims. The natural reading of this term to a person of
`
`ordinary skill in the art would be that it refers to some network that is connected
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`with the Internet. Ex.1003(¶111). Thus, the ordinary meaning of “an Internet
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`network” is a network connected to the Internet.
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`This is consistent with the ’657 Patent, which explains that the connection
`
`between the controller computer and participator computer can, but need not be, an
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`Internet connection. See, e.g., Ex.1001(7:39-48; Abstract). The ’657 Patent also
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`states, with respect to the general description of the disclosed system, that “[t]he
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`Connection 13 [i.e., between the controller computer and the participator
`
`computers] can be an Internet or more particularly, a World Wide Web
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`connection.” Ex.1001(4:59-60). A person of ordinary skill would understand that
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`an Internet or World Wide Web connection would be made via one or more
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`computer networks that were connected to the Internet – such as a user’s specific
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`Internet service provider or telephone service provider – and would not necessarily
`
`pass through all networks that make up the Internet. Ex.1003(¶113). Thus, in this
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`example, the ’657 Patent discloses communications over a network connected to
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`the Internet, i.e., “an Internet network.”
`
`“token”
`2.
`Under Phillips, the meaning of “token” is a piece of information used to
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`control access to content or one or more services. Ex.1003(¶¶115-117)
`
`This is consistent with the ’657 Patent, which characterizes “tokens” as
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`“pieces of information,” Ex.1001(7:51), that are stored in a database, id.(7:49-59),
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`and may be manipulated by an administrator, id.(10:44-53). The patent further
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`states that the storage of tokens may be “by user, group, and content, and
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`distribution controls can also be placed on the user's tokens as well as the
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`database.” Id.(7:57-59). The ’657 patent further states that tokens are used to
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`control access to services of the system, such as the ability to communicate with or
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`see other users, and the ability to send messages of different sizes or types.
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`Id.(7:60-8:25).
`
`3.
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`“authenticated [first/second] user identity” and “[first/second]
`authenticated user identity”
`Under Phillips, the meaning of “authenticated user identity” is identifying
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`information the system has confirmed is associated with a user who may be
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`provided at least some access to the services of the system. Ex.1003(¶¶118-121).
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`The ’657 claims recite “authenticated [first/second] user identity.” A person
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`of ordinary skill in the art would understand “authentication” refers to the process
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`by which a system verifies a user seeking access to the system is authorized to
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`access the system. See, e.g., Ex.1009(MS Dictionary) at 31; Ex.1010(Newton’s
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`Dictionary) at 102; Ex.1003(¶119). For example, the system may compare the
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`user’s credentials (i.e., information identifying the user) with those on file in a
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`database of authorized users. See Ex.1009(MS Dictionary) at 31; see also
`
`Ex.1007(Inside Windows 95) at 366; Ex.1008(Inside Windows NT) at 76. Thus,
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`the ordinary meaning of “authenticated user identity” is identifying information
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`the system has confirmed is associated with a user who may be provided at least
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`some access to the services of the system.
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`This is consistent with the ’657 Patent, which explains that access to the
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`system can be controlled “by identity of the user, which is associated with the
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`user’s tokens.” Ex.1001(8:12-13). “[T]he session starts with verifying the user’s
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`identity” after “the user enters his/her assigned login/password combination.”
`
`Id.(8:57-61). Thus, the ’657 Patent describes using identifying information
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`associated with a user to grant or deny access to the system.
`
`“pointer”
`4.
`Under Phillips, the meaning of “pointer” is a link or reference to a file, data,
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`or service. Ex.1003(¶¶122-124).
`
`In the field of computer programming, “pointer” is a term of art that refers to
`
`a variable that contains a reference to the memory location of some other data.
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`E.g., Ex.1009(MS Dictionary) at 308. The ’657 Patent uses the term “pointer” in a
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`broader sense than this definition, however, because it indicates that a “pointer”
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`can include a URL. Ex.1001(5:11-16). A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a
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`string of text that is used to point to a resource available on the Internet (e.g.,
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`http://www.microsoft.com), such as a file, data or a service. Ex.1011 at 1, 4-15;
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`Ex.1003(¶123). Because the ’657 Patent gives a URL as an example of a
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`“pointer,” the broadest reasonable construction of this term must encompass the
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`functionality provided by URLs.
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`“multimedia”
`5.
`Under Phillips, the meaning of “multimedia” is media comprising more than
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`one data type, such as audio, video, or text, or a link to such media.
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`Ex.1003(¶¶125-129).
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`The ordinary meaning of the term “multimedia” to a person of ordinary skill
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`in the art in the mid-1990s was media comprising more than one data type, such as
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`audio, video, graphics or text. Ex.1009(MS Dictionary) at 264; Ex.1003(¶126).
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`The ’657 Patent does not define the term “multimedia,” but it does identify
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`“video and sound” and URLs as examples of multimedia content. Ex.1001(8:47-
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`56). Thus, as used in the context of the ’657 Patent the term “multimedia”
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`generally tracks the ordinary meaning of the term to those of ordinary skill in the
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`art, i.e., more than one medium, where the different media can include at least
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`audio, video, or text. The specification also explicitly states that a URL is a type of
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`multimedia. Ex.1001(8:54-56). Thus, links or references to multimedia are
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`themselves considered to be multimedia for the purposes of the ’657 Patent,
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`because, as one of ordinary skill in the art would have understood, URLs are
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`simply strings of text. See Ex.1011 at 1, 14; Ex.1003(¶128).
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`V.
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`Precise Reasons for Relief Requested
`A. U.S. Patent No. 5,941,947 to Brown et al. (“Brown”) (Ex.1012)
`U.S. Patent No. 5,941,947 to Brown et al. (“Brown”) was filed on August
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`18, 1995, Ex.1012 at 1, and is therefore prior art under at least 35 U.S.C. § 102(e).
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`Brown discloses an “on-line services network” comprising multiple
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`application servers running on-line services such as chat, mail, bulletin board
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`systems (“BBS”), and file transfer manager (“FTM”) services. Ex.1012(2:19-25,
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`2:36-39). Users access the on-line services and content by connecting to the
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`servers through a wide area network (“WAN”). Ex.1012(2:26-36; 6:62-66). The
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`WAN may include, for example, “X.25 lines, TCP/IP lines, and ISDN (Integrated
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`Service Digital Network) lines.” Ex.1012(7:4-6); Ex.1003(¶143)
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`Brown’s on-line services network is illustrated in Fig. 1:
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`Ex.1012(Fig. 1). The Chat service may include voice and/or video capabilities.
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`Id.(9:54-55).
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`Brown’s network includes multiple gateway computers that “link incoming
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`calls from end users to the application servers.” Ex.1012 (7:38-40). The gateway
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`computers control access to on-line services by handling user requests to access a
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`service and initiate a “logon session.” Ex.1012(9:12-22). Users access on-line
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`services through microcomputers running corresponding “client applications.”
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`Ex.1012(8:47-56); Ex.1003(¶¶145-146).
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`The Brown application servers and gateways control access to on-line
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`services (and the specific content provided thereby) by consulting an “access rights
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`database” stored in one or more security servers or in one or more of the
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`application servers or gateways. Ex.1012(2:63-66; 7:48-56; 15:11-13; 22:44-48).
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`The access rights database contains “the access rights data for all users of the
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`network,” Ex.1012(7:55-56), and may store access rights data on a user-by-user
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`basis and also by “user groups.” Ex.1012(18:57-66; 22:62-23:33; Fig. 6);
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`Ex.1003(¶147).
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`Upon receipt of an access rights query for user X, a security server may
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`return to the requesting server or gateway an “access rights list for user X” that
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`“specifies the access rights of user X.” Ex.1012(25:64-26:2). The access rights
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`list is stored by the requesting application server or gateway in an “access rights
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`cache,” and may be cached in multiple different application servers and gateway
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`computers in the network at the same time. Ex.1012(8:3-8; 16:13-25; 24: 2-11;
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`25:48-51; 26:4-10; 27:53-58; 28:29-37); Ex.1003(¶148).
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`The access rights stored in the Brown access rights database specify the
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`content objects and categories of content to which each user of the network has
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`access. Ex.1012(2:59-3:7). Each category is associated with what Brown calls a
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`“token” or identifier. Ex.1012(2:66-3:4). The access rights and tokens are used by
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`the system to control access to the content and services of the system, such as the
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`chat and BBS service. See, e.g., Ex.1012(3:48-62; 13:6-8; 13:16-23;; 20:8-27;
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`14:18-25; 25:23-27). When a user attempts to access a service or content object
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`(e.g., the Chat service or a particular chat room), the service uses the security token
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`associated with the node and the user’s identity (i.e., account number) to query the
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`access rights database and determine whether the user may access that node. See
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`Ex.1012(15:38-52; 27:24-30); Ex.1003(¶¶149-151).
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`Brown’s access rights also determine what kind of privileges the user enjoys
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`within a service. Ex.1012(18:40-44). For example, a user may be given the right
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`to access a service but not the right to participate (“observer”) or the user may be
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`given the right to participate and also moderate chat conversations (“host”).
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`Ex.1012(17:35-18:5); Ex.1003(¶152).
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`B. Donath et al, The Sociable Web, (“Sociable Web”) (Ex.1019)
`Judith S. Donath et al., The Sociable Web, was publicly available at least by
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`October 20, 1994, and is therefore prior art under at least 35 U.S.C. § 102(b).
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`Ex.1031(¶¶ 1-13); Ex.1003(¶153); Ex.1014 at 1-2; Ex.1016 at 1-5; Ex.1017 at ¶83;
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`see also Ex. 1020.
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`Sociable Web was presented at the Second World Wide Web Conference
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`‘94 Mosaic and the Web. Ex. 1015 at ix. The conference occurred from October
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`17 to 20, 1994. Id. at i. This is further confirmed by a trip report documented
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`shortly after the conference. See Ex.1014 at 1. Additionally, in Ex.1016, one
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`conference attendee confirms that “Judith Donath presented her Sociable Web
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`project….” Id. at 2; see also Ex.1003(¶154). Sociable Web was published on the
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`web page of the Second World Wide Web Conference ’94. Ex.1015 at iii; Ex.1016
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`at 1. Ex.1030 is the archived version of Sociable Web from the electronic
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`proceedings. Ex.1003(¶¶155-156).
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`Among other things, Sociable Web discloses an improved chat system.
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`Ex.1019 at 1. Sociable Web describes a “Webtalk” client that allows Internet users
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`to access web pages where they can chat. Id. at 1, 4. Sociable Web also explains
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`that its system allows users to “insert hypertext links, sounds and images amidst
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`their normal conversational text.” Id. at 1; see also Ex.1003(¶157).
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`C.
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`Independent Claims 189 and 465 Are Unpatentable Over Brown
`in View of the Sociable Web
`Claim 189 Is Unpatentable
`1.
`Preamble
`a.
`Claim 189’s preamble requires the following three