`_____________________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`_____________________
`
`QUALCOMM INCORPORATED and
`ZYXEL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION,
`
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`UNM RAINFOREST INNOVATIONS,
`
`Patent Owner.
`_____________________
`
`Case IPR2021-00375
`
`Patent No. 8,265,096 B2
`_____________________
`
`PETITIONER’S SUR-REPLY IN OPPOSITION TO
`PATENT OWNER’S REVISED MOTION TO AMEND
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`Table of Contents
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`I.
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`INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1
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`II. P.O.’S UNAUTHORIZED RMTA SHOULD BE EXPUNGED ....................... 1
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`III. P.O. FAILED TO MEET ITS BURDEN TO SHOW WRITTEN
`DESCRIPTION SUPPORT ....................................................................................... 5
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`A. P.O. Does Not Contest That Its Attempted Showing of Written
`Description on Reply Is Too Late .......................................................................... 5
`
`B. Even If Considered, the RMTA Does Not Satisfy P.O.’s Burden to
`Show Written Description .................................................................................... 10
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`Patent Owner Admits that Even the RMTA Does Not Comply with
`1.
`37 C.F.R. § 42.121 ............................................................................................ 10
`
`Even If Considered, The String Citations in the RMTA Do Not
`2.
`Satisfy P.O.’s Burden to Show Written Description ......................................... 10
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`IV. P.O.’S UNAUTHORIZED RMTA REPLY SHOULD BE EXPUNGED ....... 11
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`V. P.O.’S PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE CLAIMS ARE UNPATENTABLE
`OVER THE PRIOR ART ........................................................................................ 12
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`VI. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 12
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`-i-
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`I.
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`INTRODUCTION
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`P.O.’s Reply in support of its Revised Motion to Amend (Paper 54, “RMTA
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`Reply”)1 confirms that, regardless of whether the Board considers P.O.’s Original
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`Motion to Amend (Paper 37, “OMTA”) or Revised Motion to Amend (Paper 44,
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`“RMTA”), both should be denied.
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`II.
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`P.O.’S UNAUTHORIZED RMTA SHOULD BE EXPUNGED
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`P.O. does not dispute that its RMTA does not comply with requirement in the
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`Pilot Program Notice to “include[] one or more new proposed substitute claims in
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`place of previously presented substitute claims.” RMTA Reply at 3-4; 84 Fed. Reg.
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`9497, 9498–99, 9501. Although P.O. cites a portion of the Notice indicating that a
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`revised MTA may also include previously presented claims (RMTA Reply at 4), the
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`Notice makes clear that a revised MTA may only maintain “some proposed
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`substitute claims from the original MTA,” which is consistent with the requirement
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`to “include[] one or more new proposed substitute claims.” 84 Fed. Reg. at 9501
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`(emphasis added). P.O. attempts to circumvent the new-claim rule in the Pilot
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`Program Notice by arguing it “serv[es] no meaningful purpose.” RMTA Reply at 4.
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`In particular, P.O. hypothesizes that it could have complied with the new-claim rule
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`“by simply adding a superficial and inconsequential amendment to create the illusion
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`1 The RMTA Reply, Paper 54, is incorrectly labeled as Paper 52 on its first page.
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`-1-
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`of proper form.” Id. P.O. is wrong, as the Notice prohibits amendments unrelated to
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`the preliminary guidance or the opposition to the MTA. See 84 Fed. Reg. 9497, 9498
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`(“A revised MTA may not include amendments … that are unrelated to issues raised
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`in the preliminary guidance and/or petitioner’s opposition to the MTA.”) (emphasis
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`added). An “inconsequential amendment” as contemplated by P.O. would have
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`failed this requirement. Thus, the failure to include new claims is fatal to P.O.’s
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`RMTA.
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`Moreover, P.O. does not dispute that its RMTA was unauthorized. RMTA
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`Reply at 3-4; Orthofix Medical Inc. v. Spine Holdings, LLC, IPR2020-01411, Paper
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`33 at 3 (PTAB Oct. 27, 2021) (“We … did not authorize Patent Owner to file [a
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`revised MTA] without new proposed substitute claims.”). Nor does P.O. dispute that
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`the Board may expunge its unauthorized paper. RMTA Reply at 3-4. Because P.O.’s
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`RMTA failed to comply with the Pilot Program Notice instructions to which the
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`Board had directed the parties (Paper 23 at 2), and P.O. failed to obtain permission
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`to deviate from those instructions, the RMTA should be expunged. 37 C.F.R.
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`§ 42.20(b); 37 C.F.R. § 42.7(a); Valeo, North America, Inc. v. Magna Elecs., Inc.,
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`IPR2014-00227, Paper 44 at 2 (PTAB Jan. 14, 2015) (expunging unauthorized
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`motion for “fail[ure] to comply with … instruction[s]” in a prior order, given that
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`“Patent Owner did not initiate a conference call” to obtain authorization to deviate
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`from those prior instructions).
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`-2-
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`Indeed, expungement is particularly warranted here because of the prejudice
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`to Petitioner as a result of not knowing whether P.O.’s RMTA would be treated as a
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`motion or a reply. In its RMTA Reply, P.O. now proclaims that—despite how it
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`titled and styled the RMTA, despite giving itself 25 pages without seeking prior
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`authorization to exceed the 12-page limit for a reply,2 and despite otherwise giving
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`no indication to Petitioner (or the Board) it intended to proceed in reply-fashion—
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`its RMTA was actually a reply all along, and P.O. had only styled it as an RMTA
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`“out of an abundance of caution.” RMTA Reply at 3. Based on this retroactive
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`proclamation, P.O. contends that Petitioner has “already taken advantage” of the
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`same remedies provided in Orthofix Medical, IPR2020-01411, Paper 33—i.e.,
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`clarity that a revised MTA was actually a reply, with an enlarged 25 pages to
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`respond. RMTA Reply at 3.
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`Even accepting arguendo P.O.’s attempt at revisionist history, Petitioner here
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`received neither of the remedies that the Board applied in Orthofix Medical. First,
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`due to the compressed schedule, Petitioner was unable to receive advance clarity that
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`P.O.’s RMTA was actually a reply—a point P.O. does not dispute. Opp’n at 3-4
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`(explaining that the schedule in this proceeding, which was three-times more
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`compressed than the schedule in Orthofix Medical, prevented Petitioner from
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`obtaining guidance from the Board in time to adjust its responsive paper); RMTA
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`2 If deemed a reply, the Board should strike at least the unauthorized excess pages.
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`-3-
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`Reply at 3-4 (not disputing). This point is critical—because Petitioner did not know
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`whether P.O.’s paper was a motion (as it purported to be) or a reply, in order to
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`protect its interests, Petitioner was forced to respond as if it was both, including
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`submitting new evidence in the event it was deemed a motion. 84 Fed. Reg. at 9501
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`(new evidence permissible in opposition, but not on sur-reply). Second, Petitioner
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`did not receive an enlarged 25-page limit for a sur-reply; instead, Petitioner only
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`received 25 pages for a combined opposition and sur-reply. Again, because P.O.
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`styled its paper as a revised motion, Petitioner had no choice but to raise its
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`opposition arguments in full or risk waiver. 37 C.F.R. § 42.6(a)(3) (“Arguments
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`must not be incorporated by reference from one document into another document.”);
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`Alaska Fuel Distributors Inc. v. Frac Shack Inc., IPR2019-00995, Paper 32 at 18
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`(PTAB Oct. 15, 2020) (“In its Opposition to the Revised Motion to Amend,
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`Petitioner refers back to its Opposition to the original Motion to Amend…. We are
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`doubtful that this manner of merely referring to arguments presented in an earlier
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`brief, which opposed an earlier and different version of the motion to amend, is
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`sufficient for Petitioner to preserve any new matter argument with respect to the
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`Revised Motion to Amend.”). Accordingly, Petitioner received neither of the
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`remedies available to the petitioner in Orthofix Medical, and fairness warrants a
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`different result—expungement of P.O.’s RMTA.
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`-4-
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`Lastly, although P.O. attempts to claim it was prejudiced by only having one
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`week to file its RMTA Reply following Petitioner’s Opposition (RMTA Reply at 4),
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`the compressed schedule has been entirely of P.O.’s own making. First, P.O. delayed
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`this proceeding by calling into question whether it had standing to participate (Paper
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`18 at 2), but later dropped that position. Paper 21 (showing that P.O. has standing);
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`Paper 22 (not disputing standing). Second, P.O. opted to pursue a motion to amend
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`under the Pilot Program, aware of the attendant effects under an already compressed
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`schedule. Papers 23, 26. And third, after filing a deficient MTA, P.O. chose to file a
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`revised MTA, again cognizant of the attendant effects of the schedule. Paper 42. By
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`rule, Petitioner was entitled to submit evidence with its opposition (84 Fed. Reg. at
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`9501), and the compressed schedule provided P.O. one week to reply. P.O.’s cries
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`of prejudice by having to comply with the schedule that it chose rings hollow.
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`III. P.O. FAILED TO MEET ITS BURDEN TO SHOW WRITTEN
`DESCRIPTION SUPPORT
`A.
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`P.O. Does Not Contest That Its Attempted Showing of Written
`Description on Reply Is Too Late
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`P.O. attempts to save its unauthorized RMTA by welcoming reclassification
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`as a reply, but if considered to be a reply, P.O. does not meaningfully dispute that its
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`attempt to rectify the written description deficiency in its OMTA in a reply paper
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`came too late. RMTA Reply at 5-6.
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`-5-
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`In both the RMTA and the RMTA Reply, P.O. did not dispute that it bears the
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`burden of production to show written description support. RMTA at 5-13; RMTA
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`Reply at 5-6; see Lectrosonics, Inc. v. Zaxcom, Inc., IPR2018-01129, Paper 15 at 8
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`(P.T.A.B. Feb. 25, 2019) (precedential). Nor has P.O. ever disputed that the OMTA
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`failed to address, in any fashion, the original claim limitations of the proposed
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`substitute claims. OMTA at 4-6. Moreover, P.O. does not dispute that under Lippert
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`Components, Inc. v. Days Corp., IPR2018-00777, Paper 28 at 51 (PTAB Sept. 24,
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`2019), P.O.’s initial attempt to show written description support on reply came “too
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`late.” RMTA Reply at 5-6. P.O. cites no contrary authority. Instead, P.O. seems to
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`try and distinguish Lippert Components by arguing that the Preliminary Guidance
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`either excused P.O. from meeting its burden or authorized a late showing of written
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`description support on reply. Id.
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`The Preliminary Guidance did neither. To the contrary, the Preliminary
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`Guidance found that P.O.’s OMTA had not met its burden to show written
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`description support. Paper 42 at 6. And the Preliminary Guidance did not give any
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`authorization for a late showing of written description support on reply. Id. P.O. cites
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`no authority for the extraordinary proposition that the Board’s Preliminary Guidance
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`shifted a burden that P.O. had not met to Petitioner. Nor has P.O. cited any authority
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`for the extraordinary proposition that the Board’s Preliminary Guidance waived the
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`requirements of 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.121(b) and 42.23(b) that P.O.’s motion to amend
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`-6-
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`(rather than a reply) include P.O.’s arguments necessary to set forth a prima facie
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`showing of written description support.
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`Accordingly, P.O.’s new written description arguments on reply came too
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`late. Lippert Components, IPR2018-00777, Paper 28 at 51 (“[T]he attempt” to make
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`an initial showing of written description support on reply “came too late.”); Free
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`Stream Media Corp. v. Gracenote, Inc., IPR2020-00219, Paper 36 at 32 (PTAB June
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`15, 2021) (denying motion to amend, “find[ing] that Patent Owner did not identify
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`in the RMTA the material at column 8 of the ’030 patent and in the Background
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`section, as our rules require, and that the RMTA Reply is too late to raise new
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`evidence.”); Respironics, Inc. v. Zoll Med. Corp., No. IPR2013-00322, Paper 46 at
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`25 (PTAB Sept. 17, 2014) (“Zoll’s Reply in support of its Motion to Amend seeks
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`to remedy the [written description] problem, but it is too little, too late”). In
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`particular, Respironics explained that “[a] Reply affords the moving party an
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`opportunity to refute arguments and evidence advanced by the opposing party, not
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`an opportunity to improve its position.” Id. Like the patent owner in Respironics,
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`P.O.’s “new [reply] evidence” was “offered to bolster [P.O.’s] motion, not to refute
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`argument or evidence by [Petitioner] that the claim lacks adequate written
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`description support,” and P.O. has “not explain[ed] why it could not have presented
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`[the] Reply [written description] evidence with its motion.” Id. Accordingly, P.O.
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`“has not shown why this late evidence should be considered.” Id.
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`-7-
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`To be clear, P.O.’s motion to amend should be denied because P.O. has failed
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`to satisfy its burden under 35 U.S.C. § 316(d) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.121 to show written
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`description support for the proposed substitute claims. In that regard, it is also worth
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`noting that no finding of inadequate written description is necessary, as requiring
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`such would impermissibly shift the burden to Petitioner. Respironics, IPR2013-
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`00322, Paper 46 at 26 (“We do not conclude that Zoll’s proposed claim 36 lacks the
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`support of adequate written description. Instead, we conclude that Zoll has not come
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`forward with sufficient evidence to demonstrate that claim 36 has the required
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`support.”); Lippert Components, IPR2018-00777, Paper 28 at 52-56 (denying MTA
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`on the basis that P.O. had not met its burden of production to show written
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`description support despite finding adequate written description support for the only
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`claim limitation contested by Petitioner).
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`Lastly, P.O. attempts to excuse its mistake by arguing that Petitioner has had
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`a full opportunity to address the RMTA’s new written description arguments. RMTA
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`Reply at 6. P.O. is incorrect. First, this argument ignores that P.O. was obligated to
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`include its written description support in its OMTA to give Petitioner a fair
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`opportunity to respond. See Lippert Components, IPR2018-00777, Paper 28 at 51
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`(finding that MTA that did “not address, in any fashion, the limitations of the
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`existing claims that are carried forward in the proposed claims” did not “accord[]”
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`Petitioner “a fair opportunity to address [the] issue,” as “there was nothing for
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`-8-
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`
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`Petitioner to oppose … when filing the initial opposition.”); Unified Patents Inc. v.
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`Velos Media LLC, IPR2019-00707, Paper 55 at 30 (PTAB Sept. 3, 2020) (In
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`assessing written description support in a motion to amend, the Board “consider[s]
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`whether Patent Owner reasonably asserted support such that Petitioner could
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`respond.”). Second, if the RMTA is considered to be a reply, then Petitioner’s
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`responsive paper would be a sur-reply, and Petitioner no longer had the opportunity
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`to submit responsive evidence. 84 Fed. Reg. at 9500 (“[N]ew evidence (including
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`declarations) may be submitted with every paper in the MTA process, except a sur-
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`reply. A sur-reply may only include cross-examination deposition transcripts.”). As
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`such, Petitioner would have been unable to submit a declaration from its expert that
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`responded to P.O.’s new written description theories. Moreover, P.O. did not support
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`its new RMTA written description arguments with a declaration from its expert, so
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`Petitioner did not even have the opportunity to submit rebuttal evidence in the form
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`of a cross examination deposition transcript.
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`And P.O.’s argument that Petitioner “did in fact address the written
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`description support proffered by Patent Owner” is wrong. RMTA Reply at 6 (citing
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`Petitioner’s RMTA Opp’n at 7-10). There, Petitioner’s RMTA Opp’n explained that
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`P.O.’s string citations lacked the explanation necessary to show written description
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`support. But that argument, which did not require support from an expert declaration,
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`-9-
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`
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`does not negate that P.O.’s error has deprived Petitioner from being able to fully
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`respond to the RMTA’s new written description arguments with expert evidence.
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`B.
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`Even If Considered, the RMTA Does Not Satisfy P.O.’s Burden to
`Show Written Description
`1.
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`Patent Owner Admits that Even the RMTA Does Not
`Comply with 37 C.F.R. § 42.121
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`37 C.F.R. § 42.121 requires that “a motion to amend claims must … set forth
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`… the support in an earlier filed disclosure for each claim for which benefit of the
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`filing date of the earlier filed disclosure is sought.” 37 C.F.R. § 42.121(b)(2). P.O.
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`does not even attempt to argue that its RMTA complied with this requirement –
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`instead P.O. takes the position that this requirement “is irrelevant.” RMTA Reply
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`at 8. P.O. argues that because the RMTA motion is contingent on a finding that
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`claim 1 of the ’096 has been shown to be unpatentable, P.O. need not comply with
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`the regulations. Id. at 8–9. The requirements of 37 C.F.R. § 42.121 expressly apply
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`to all motions to amend, and P.O. cites to no contrary authority. Because P.O. does
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`not dispute that even its RMTA does not meet its burden to produce written
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`description support, the motion must be denied for this reason alone.
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`2.
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`Even If Considered, The String Citations in the RMTA Do
`Not Satisfy P.O.’s Burden to Show Written Description
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`In its opposition to P.O.’s RMTA, Petitioner cited numerous decisions in
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`which the Board has found string citations to be insufficient to satisfy a patent
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`owner’s burden to show written description support. Paper 47 at 8-11. P.O. attempts
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`-10-
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`
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`to distinguish just one of those decisions, Lippert Components, on the basis that
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`there, the deficient string citations did not reproduce the quoted text, whereas P.O.’s
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`string citations did reproduce the quoted text. RMTA Reply at 5-6.
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`P.O.’s argument misses the point. Its bare string citations with only quoted
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`text were “without explanation” and therefore “are insufficient to meet a patent
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`owner’s burden of production.” Lippert Components, IPR2018-00777, Paper 28 at
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`52; Investors Exchange LLC v. Nasdaq, Inc., CBM2018-00039, Paper 47 at 55
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`(PTAB Feb. 25, 2020) (“Patent Owner’s string citations to various disclosures is
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`insufficient to demonstrate written description support absent some additional
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`explanation”) (emphasis added). Even extensive quotation of a disclosure fails to
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`demonstrate written description without adequate explanation. Apple Inc. v.
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`Personalized Media Comms, LLC, IPR2016-00755, Paper 42 at 72-73 (PTAB Sept.
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`19, 2017), rev’d on other grounds, 952 F.3d 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2020) (finding that “[a]
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`long citation” with extensive quotes from the disclosure “fails to present a coherent
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`explanation of how the disclosure provides written description support”).
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`IV. P.O.’S UNAUTHORIZED RMTA REPLY SHOULD BE EXPUNGED
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`P.O.’s insistence that it intended its RMTA to be a reply (RMTA Reply at 3-
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`4) is belied by P.O. filing its RMTA Reply. If P.O.’s RMTA is considered a reply,
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`then Petitioner’s opposition would be considered a sur-reply, and the Pilot Program
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`-11-
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`
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`Notice does not authorize further papers. 84 Fed. Reg. at 9500–01. Accordingly, the
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`RMTA Reply should be expunged.
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`V.
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`P.O.’S PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE CLAIMS ARE UNPATENTABLE
`OVER THE PRIOR ART
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`Assuming, arguendo, that P.O.’s OMTA and/or RMTA complied with the
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`statutory and regulatory requirements to meet their burden of production, the
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`proposed substitute claims would still not overcome the prior art challenges.
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`As described in detail in Petitioner’s Opposition, the combination of Talukdar
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`and Li disclose all elements of claim 1 of the ’096 Patent, including the limitation
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`“wherein each symbol in the second communication system has a shorter symbol
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`period than that in the first communication system.” Patent Owner has argued from
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`its first substantive paper that the limitation “wherein the second communication
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`system has pilot symbols that are denser than those in the first communication
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`system” is “a natural result” of shorter symbol period, because of the claim
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`construction. See Prelim. Resp. at 36. Because that limitation is the only limitation
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`added to the Proposed Amended Claims, they are invalid over the combination of
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`Talukdar and Li for the reasons presented in the Petition and the Opposition.
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`VI. CONCLUSION
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`For the above reasons, P.O.’s OMTA and/or RMTA should be denied.
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`Dated: May 9, 2022
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`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/s/ Jonathan I. Detrixhe
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`-12-
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`
`
`Lead Counsel
`Jonathan I. Detrixhe (Reg. No. 68,556)
`Reed Smith LLP
`101 Second Street
`Suite 1800
`San Francisco, CA 94105
`Tel: 415.543.8700
`Fax: 415.391.8269
`jdetrixhe@reedsmith.com
`
`Back-up Counsel
`Jonah D. Mitchell (admitted hac vice)
`Christine M. Morgan (admitted pro hac vice)
`Reed Smith LLP
`101 Second Street
`Suite 1800
`San Francisco, CA 94105
`Tel: 415.543.8700
`Fax: 415.391.8269
`jmitchell@reedsmith.com
`cmorgan@reedsmith.com
`
`Peter J. Chassman (Reg. No. 38,841)
`Michael J. Forbes (Reg. No. 73,898)
`Reed Smith LLP
`811 Main Street
`Suite 1700
`Houston, TX 77002
`Tel: 713.469.3800
`Fax: 713.469.3899
`pchassman@reedsmith.com
`mforbes@reedsmith.com
`
`Counsel for Petitioner
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`-13-
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`
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.6(e)(4) and 42.25(b), the undersigned certifies
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`that on May 9, 2022, a complete copy of Petitioner’s Sur-Reply in Opposition to
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`Patent Owner’s Revised Motion to Amend was filed electronically through the
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`Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s PTABE2E System and provided, via electronic
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`service, to the Patent Owner by serving the correspondence address of record.
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`Dated: May 9, 2022
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`Respectfully submitted,
`/ Jonathan I. Detrixhe /
`Jonathan I. Detrixhe (Reg. No. 68,556)
`Reed Smith LLP
`101 Second Street
`Suite 1800
`San Francisco, CA 94105
`Tel: 415.543.8700
`Fax: 415.391.8269
`jdetrixhe@reedsmith.com
`
`Counsel for Petitioner
`
`
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`14
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`