`Tel: 571-272-7822
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`Paper 46
`Date: July 29, 2022
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC., HYUNDAI MOTOR
`AMERICA, MAZDA MOTOR OF AMERICA, INC., SUBARU OF
`AMERICA, INC., and VOLVO CAR USA, LLC,1
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`STRATOSAUDIO, INC.,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`IPR2021-00720 (Patent 9,355,405 B2)
`IPR2021-00721 (Patent 8,166,081 B2)
`____________
`
`
`
`Before JUSTIN T. ARBES, HYUN J. JUNG, and KEVIN C. TROCK,
`Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`TROCK, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`
`ORDER
`Settlement as to Mazda Motor of America, Inc.
`
`
`1 Mazda Motor of America, Inc., Subaru of America, Inc., and Volvo Car
`USA, LLC filed a motion for joinder and a petition in Case IPR2022-00203,
`and Hyundai Motor America, Mazda Motor of America, Inc., Subaru of
`America, Inc., and Volvo Car USA, LLC filed a motion for joinder and a
`petition in Case IPR2022-00224, which were granted, and, therefore, have
`been joined as petitioners in these proceedings.
`
`
`
`IPR2021-00720 (Patent 9,355,405 B2)
`IPR2021-00721 (Patent 8,166,081 B2)
`
`
`35 U.S.C. § 317; 37 C.F.R. § 42.74
`
`
`On July 21, 2022, Petitioner Mazda Motor of America, Inc.
`(“Mazda”) and Patent Owner StratosAudio, Inc. filed, in each of the instant
`proceedings, a Joint Motion to Terminate on the basis of a settlement
`reached by Mazda and Patent Owner. See Paper 45 (“Mot.”);2 35 U.S.C.
`§ 317(a); 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.72, 42.74. The parties also filed a copy of their
`written settlement agreement (Exhibit 2024) as “Board Only” in the Board’s
`electronic filing system and filed a Joint Request (Paper 46) that the
`agreement be treated as business confidential information under 35 U.S.C.
`§ 317(b) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c).
`Mazda and Patent Owner represent that a settlement agreement
`between the two parties “has been made in writing,” “a true copy of the
`same is [filed] as Exhibit 2024,” and “[t]here are no other collateral
`agreements between the parties made in connection with, or in
`contemplation of, the termination sought.” Mot. 1. The Motion does not
`indicate that Mazda is a defendant in any pending district court litigation
`asserting the challenged patents. Id. at 1–2. Under these circumstances, we
`determine that it is appropriate to terminate the instant proceedings with
`respect to Mazda. See 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.72, 42.74. The proceedings shall
`continue with respect to Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., Subaru of
`America, Inc. and Volvo Car USA, LLC (and Hyundai Motor America in
`Case IPR2021-00720) (collectively, “Petitioner”), under the terms set forth
`
`
`2 The parties filed similar documents in each of the instant proceedings. See
`IPR2021-00720, Papers 45, 46, Ex. 2024; IPR2021-00721, Papers 43, 44,
`Ex. 2024. We refer to those papers filed in Case IPR2021-00720 for
`convenience.
`
`2
`
`
`
`IPR2021-00720 (Patent 9,355,405 B2)
`IPR2021-00721 (Patent 8,166,081 B2)
`
`in our decision granting the motion for joinder in each proceeding. See
`IPR2021-00720, Paper 39; IPR2021-00721, Paper 37.
`In consideration of the foregoing, it is hereby
`ORDERED that the parties’ requests that the settlement agreement
`(Exhibit 2024) between Mazda and Patent Owner be treated as business
`confidential information, kept separate from the files of U.S. Patent
`Nos. 9,355,405 B2 and 8,166,081 B2, and made available only to Federal
`Government agencies on written request, or to any person on a showing of
`good cause, under 35 U.S.C. § 317(b) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c), are granted;
`FURTHER ORDERED that the Joint Motion to Terminate as to
`Mazda in each of the instant proceedings is granted; and
`FURTHER ORDERED that for all future filings, the case caption in
`the instant proceedings shall be changed to remove Mazda Motor of
`America, Inc.
`
`3
`
`
`
`IPR2021-00720 (Patent 9,355,405 B2)
`IPR2021-00721 (Patent 8,166,081 B2)
`
`FOR PETITIONER VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC.:
`
`Michael D. Specht
`Ryan C. Richardson
`Daniel S. Block
`Daniel E. Yonan
`Timothy L. Tang
`Wenhao Xiong
`STERNE, KESSLER, GOLDSTEIN & FOX P.L.L.C
`mspecht-ptab@sternekessler.com
`rrichardson-ptab@sternekessler.com
`dblock-ptab@sternekessler.com
`dyonan-ptab@sternekessler.com
`
`FOR PETITIONERS HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA, MAZDA MOTOR
`OF AMERICA, INC., SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC., and VOLVO CAR
`USA, LLC:
`
`Matthew D. Satchwell
`Paul R. Steadman
`DLA PIPER LLP (US)
`matthew.satchwell@dlapiper.com
`paul.steadman@dlapiper.com
`
`Lewis E. Hudnell, III
`Nicolas S. Gikkas
`HUDNELL LAW GROUP P.C.
`lewis@hudnelllaw.com
`nsg@gikkaslaw.com
`
`FOR PATENT OWNER:
`
`John Scheibeler
`Jonathan Lamberson
`Ashley T. Brzezinski
`WHITE & CASE LLP
`jscheibeler@whitecase.com
`jonathan.lamberson@whitecase.com
`ashley.brzezinski@whitecase.com
`
`4
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