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`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`APPLE INC.,
`Petitioner,
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`v.
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`KOSS CORPORATION,
`Patent Owner.
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`Case IPR2021-00381
`Patent 10,491,982
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`PETITIONER’S REPLY TO PATENT OWNER’S PRELIMINARY
`RESPONSE
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`Case IPR2021-00381
`Attorney Docket No: 50095-0019IP1
`In its POPR (Paper 10), Koss argues that factor 4 of the Fintiv framework
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`“weighs in favor of denying institution” based on an alleged potential overlap of
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`issues because “[e]ach of the Challenged Claims is presently asserted in the Texas
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`Litigation.” Paper 10, 12-16. However, Fintiv explains that Factor 4 addresses
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`whether “the petition includes the same or substantially the same claims, grounds,
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`arguments, and evidence as presented in the parallel proceeding.” IPR2020-00019,
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`Paper 11 at 12. Each of these elements either differs between the concurrent
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`proceedings or any overlap is unascertainable until well after institution.
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`First, there is no overlap of grounds. Apple has stipulated that, unless the
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`Board denies or later vacates institution of this petition, Petitioner will not seek
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`resolution in the district court invalidity based on any ground “that utilizes, as a
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`primary reference, US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0076489
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`(“Rosener”), which is the primary reference in the grounds asserted in” this IPR.
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`KOSS-2022, 1. As grounds will differ, so too will arguments and evidence. Second,
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`the parties will not decide on the claims that will be at issue in the district court trial
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`until well after institution. Paper 10, 12. Thus, factor 4 supports institution.
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`Koss challenges Apple’s stipulation as not broad enough to preclude overlap.
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`Paper 6, 16-17. Whether or not it includes “all permutations of the asserted prior
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`art,” the stipulation sufficiently “reduces the risks posed by the overlap between the
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`proceedings,” such that factor 4 of Fintiv “weighs against the exercise of discretion
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`1
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`Case IPR2021-00381
`Attorney Docket No: 50095-0019IP1
`to deny review.” IPR2020-01113, Paper 12, 15-19. As endorsed by the Board in
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`Tide, the district court is fully capable of interpreting and enforcing the stipulation,
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`as the meaning of “primary reference” is case-specific, and in this context, it is clear
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`Rosener may not be used in the same way as used in the underlying IPR petition.
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`IPR2020-00019, Paper 11; see In re Mouttet, 686 F.3d 1322, 1333 (Fed. Cir. 2012).
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`Further, even assuming such speculative future efforts in the district court are
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`relevant at all, the efforts of the parties in parallel proceedings are not relevant to
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`factor 4. IPR2020-01602, Paper 9 at 13-14 (PTAB Apr. 2, 2021).
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`Koss argues that because a petitioner in a different IPR proceeding issued a
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`broader stipulation, Apple should do so here. But, such a one-size-fits-all rule is
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`counter to Fintiv’s guidance. When evaluating the Fintiv factors, “the Board takes
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`a holistic view of whether efficiency and integrity of the system are best served by
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`denying or instituting review,” and, “[i]n many cases, weighing the degree of overlap
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`is highly fact dependent.” IPR2020-00019, Paper 11, 6, 13. There are numerous
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`cases where the Board has rightly found that stipulations of equal or narrower
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`breadth weigh against discretionary denial. See, e.g., IPR2019-01393, Paper 24, 11-
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`12; IPR2020-01113, Paper 12, 15-19; IPR2020-01208, Paper 13, 18; IPR2020-
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`01428, Paper 10, 12. And where the Board has held otherwise, there were other
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`mitigating facts, such as a much sooner and more certain trial date. See, e.g.,
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`IPR2020-00870, Paper 16, 9-18; IPR2020-01317, Paper 15, 11-24. A similarly
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`holistic analysis of the present facts weighs against discretionary denial.
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`May 7, 2021
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`Date:
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`Case IPR2021-00381
`Attorney Docket No: 50095-0019IP1
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`/W. Karl Renner/
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`W. Karl Renner, Reg. No. 41,265
`Roberto Devoto, Reg. No. 55,108
`Ryan Chowdhury, Reg. No. 74,466
`Fish & Richardson P.C.
`3200 RBC Plaza, 60 South Sixth Street
`Minneapolis, MN 55402
`T: 202-783-5070
`F: 877-769-7945
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`Case IPR2021-00381
`Attorney Docket No: 50095-0019IP1
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`Pursuant to 37 CFR § 42.6(e), the undersigned certifies that on May 7, 2021,
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`a complete and entire copy of this Petitioner’s Reply to Patent Owner’s
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`Preliminary Response was provided via email, to the Patent Owner by serving the
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`correspondence addresses of record as follows:
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`Mark G. Knedeisen
`Laurén Shuttleworth Murray
`Brian P. Bozzo
`K&L GATES LLP
`K&L Gates Center, 210 Sixth Avenue
`Pittsburgh, PA 15222
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`Email: mark.knedeisen@klgates.com
`Email: lauren.murray@klgates.com
`Email: brian.bozzo@klgates.com
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`/Edward G. Faeth/
`Edward G. Faeth
`Fish & Richardson P.C.
`60 South Sixth Street, Suite 3200
`Minneapolis, MN 55402
`(202) 626-6420
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