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` IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`In re Inter Partes Review of:
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
`Issued: May 1, 2018
`Application No.: 14/053,626
`Filing Date: Oct. 15, 2013
`
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`For: Users Tagging Users in Media Online
`FILED VIA P-TACTS
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`
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`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW OF
`U.S. PATENT NO. 9,959,291
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`

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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1
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`I.
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`II. MANDATORY NOTICES ............................................................................. 2
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`A.
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`B.
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`C.
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`D.
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`E.
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`Real Parties-in-Interest .......................................................................... 2
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`Related Matters ...................................................................................... 2
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`Notice of Counsel and Service Information .......................................... 3
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`Fee for Inter Partes Review .................................................................. 4
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`Certification of Grounds for Standing ................................................... 5
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`III.
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`IDENTIFICATION OF CHALLENGES (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b)) ................. 5
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`IV. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................. 6
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`A.
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`B.
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`C.
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`D.
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`Technology Overview ........................................................................... 6
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`The ’291 Patent ..................................................................................... 7
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`The Challenged Claims ....................................................................... 10
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`Prosecution History ............................................................................. 11
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`V.
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`LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART ........................................... 13
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`VI. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION .......................................................................... 14
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`A.
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`B.
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`“user identifier” (all claims) ................................................................ 14
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`“contact” (claim 26) ............................................................................ 15
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`VII. PRIOR ART OVERVIEW ............................................................................ 16
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`A.
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`B.
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`Sharpe (EX1005) ................................................................................. 16
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`Eintracht (EX1006) ............................................................................. 18
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`Carey (EX1007) .................................................................................. 21
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`C.
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`VIII. GROUND 1: SHARPE ALONE OR IN VIEW OF THE
`KNOWLEDGE OF A POSA RENDERS OBVIOUS CLAIMS 1, 5,
`10-26 .............................................................................................................. 22
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`A.
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`Independent Claim 26 ......................................................................... 22
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`26[pre]: method implemented within a computer system
`for associating users with digital media ....................................22
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`26[a]: distinguishing users via unique user identifiers ............25
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`26[b]: in response to selection of digital media,
`determining unique digital media identifier
`corresponding to digital media selected ....................................30
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`26[c]: receiving input indicating selection of named user
`from contact list of other users including the named user ........31
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`26[d]: in response to selection of named user from list,
`determining unique user identifier of the named user ..............36
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`26[e]: storing association between unique user identifier
`of named user and unique digital media identifier
`corresponding to digital media selected ....................................37
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`B.
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`Independent Claim 1 ........................................................................... 39
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`1[pre]: method associating users with digital media
`accessible to one or more of the plurality of computing
`devices .......................................................................................39
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`1[a]: identifying users having unique user identifier
`stored in memory, users including first and second users ........39
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`1[b]: determining association between descriptive
`information previously provided by first user and unique
`user identifier of first user .........................................................40
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`ii
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`1[c]: determining association between first and second
`users...........................................................................................41
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`1[d]: determining unique digital media identifier
`corresponding to digital media selection input by second
`user ............................................................................................42
`
`1[e]: providing graphical user interface to receive
`selection of users from descriptive information associated
`with unique user identifiers, graphical user interface
`configured to display descriptive information associated
`with unique user identifiers of users with determined
`association with second user .....................................................43
`
`1[f]: receiving input initiated by the second user via the
`graphical user interface, received input indicating
`selection of first user from descriptive information
`associated with unique user identifier of first user ...................45
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`1[g]: determining unique user identifier of first user from
`received input initiated by second user indicating
`selection of first user .................................................................46
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`1[h]: in response to selection of first user, storing
`association between the unique user identifier of first
`user and unique digital media identifier corresponding to
`the digital media selection input by second user ......................46
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`C.
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`Dependent Claims 5, 10-23 ................................................................. 48
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`Claim 5: digital media corresponding to the digital
`media selection input includes image data from a digital
`image .........................................................................................48
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`Claims 10, 11: receiving request for digital media with
`first user stored association, and in response, providing
`graphical user interface configured to display list
`indicating image data corresponding to the digital media
`with first user stored association ...............................................48
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`Claim 12: subsequent to storing association, providing
`interface configured for first user to select or deselect
`users for which to store association with unique digital
`media identifier .........................................................................50
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`Claim 13, 14: in response to request for image,
`determining unique user identifier having association
`with image and providing interface configured to display
`list of descriptive information associated with requested
`image .........................................................................................51
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`Claim 15: in response to selection of first user and
`determining photo album associated with first user,
`adding image data to photo album associated with first
`user ............................................................................................53
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`Claim 16, 17: unique user identifier of first user was
`previously provided by first user ..............................................54
`
`Claim 18: descriptive information includes name, e-mail
`address, other naming information, or home page address ......55
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`Claim 19: descriptive information includes screen name ........55
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`Claim 20, 21, 22: user interface element is a control
`including a radio button, checkbox, list, select element,
`Macromedia Flash player, Shockwave player, Java
`applets, or ActiveX controls .....................................................55
`
` Claim 23: list includes thumbnails to indicate image
`corresponding to digital media that first user has
`association .................................................................................56
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`D.
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`Independent Claims 24 and 25 ............................................................ 57
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`24[pre]/25[pre]: apparatus / computer readable medium ........57
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`24[a]: physical computing system ...........................................57
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`24[a1]/25[a]: identifying users having unique user
`identifier stored in memory, users including first and
`second user ................................................................................58
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`24[a2]/25[b]: determining associations between
`descriptive information and unique user identifiers of the
`users, including association between descriptive
`information previously provided by first user and unique
`user identifier of the first user ...................................................58
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`24[a3]/25[c]: determining associations between users,
`including association between first and second users ...............58
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`24[a4]/25[d]: determining unique digital media identifier
`corresponding to digital media selection input by second
`user ............................................................................................58
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`24[a5]/25[e]: providing a graphical user interface
`configured to display descriptive information associated
`with unique user identifiers .......................................................59
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`24[a6]/24[f]: receiving input indicating a selection of
`descriptive information associated with the unique user
`identifier ....................................................................................59
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`24[a7]/25[g]: determining the unique user identifier ...............59
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`24[a8]/25[h]: in response to selection, storing an
`association between the unique user identifier and the
`unique digital media identifier corresponding to the
`digital media ..............................................................................59
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`IX. GROUND 2: SHARPE IN VIEW OF EINTRACHT RENDERS
`OBVIOUS CLAIMS 1-26 ............................................................................. 59
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`A. Motivation to Combine ....................................................................... 59
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`B.
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`C.
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`Reasonable Expectation of Success .................................................... 61
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`Independent Claims 1, 24, 25, 26 ........................................................ 62
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`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`D. Dependent Claims ............................................................................... 64
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`Claim 2, 3 ..................................................................................64
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`Claim 4 ......................................................................................65
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`Claim 6 ......................................................................................66
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`Claim 7, 8 ..................................................................................67
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`Claim 9 ......................................................................................69
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`Claim 13, 14 ..............................................................................70
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`Claims 5, 10-12, 15-23 ..............................................................72
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`X. GROUND 3: SHARPE IN VIEW OF CAREY RENDERS OBVIOUS
`CLAIMS 18-19, 26 ........................................................................................ 72
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`A. Motivation to Combine ....................................................................... 72
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`B.
`
`C.
`
`Reasonable Expectation of Success .................................................... 74
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`Independent Claim 26 ......................................................................... 74
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`D. Dependent Claim 18 ............................................................................ 75
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`E.
`
`Dependent Claim 19 ............................................................................ 76
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`XI. GROUND 4: SHARPE IN VIEW OF EINTRACHT AND CAREY
`RENDERS OBVIOUS CLAIMS 18-19, 26 .................................................. 76
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`A.
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`B.
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`Independent Claim 26 ......................................................................... 76
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`Dependent Claims 18-19 ..................................................................... 77
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`XII. SECONDARY CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................... 77
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`XIII. THE BOARD SHOULD REACH THE MERITS OF THIS
`PETITION ..................................................................................................... 77
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`
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`Institution is appropriate under §325(d) .............................................. 77
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`Institution is appropriate under §314(a) .............................................. 78
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`A.
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`B.
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`XIV. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 78
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
` Page(s)
`
`STATUTES
`
`35 U.S.C.
`§ 101 ...................................................................................................................... 3
`§ 102(e) ................................................................................................................. 5
`§ 103 .................................................................................................................. 5, 6
`§314(a) ................................................................................................................ 78
`§325(d) ................................................................................................................ 77
`REGULATIONS
`
`37 C.F.R.
`§ 42.10(b) .............................................................................................................. 4
`§ 42.15(a) .............................................................................................................. 4
`§42.100(b) ........................................................................................................... 14
`§ 42.104(a) ............................................................................................................ 5
`§ 42.104(b) ............................................................................................................ 5
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`
`EXHIBIT LIST
`
`Exhibit
`
`Description
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`1001
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`1002
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`1003
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`1004
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`1005
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`1006
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`1007
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`1008
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`1009
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`1010
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`1011
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`1012
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`1013
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`1014
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`1015
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`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291 (“’291 Patent”)
`
`Prosecution History of U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291 (“’291 FH”)
`
`Declaration of Dr. Benjamin B. Bederson (“Bederson”)
`
`Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Benjamin B. Bederson
`
`U.S. Patent No. 7,461,099 to Sharpe et al. (“Sharpe”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,687,878 to Eintracht et al. (“Eintracht”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,714,793 to Carey et al. (“Carey”)
`
`Prosecution History of U.S. Patent No. 10,628,480 (“’480 FH”)
`
`Excerpt from THE OXFORD AMERICAN DICTIONARY AND LANGUAGE
`GUIDE (1999), at 203 (contact).
`Excerpt from THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY (4th ed. 2001), at
`191 (contact).
`Kuchinsky et al., FotoFile: A Consumer Multimedia Organization and
`Retrieval System, CHI ’99: PROCEEDINGS OF THE SIGCHI
`CONFERENCE ON HUMAN FACTORS IN COMPUTING SYSTEMS, 496-503
`(May 1999) (“FotoFile”)
`U.S. Patent No. 7,739,139 to Robertson, et al. (“Robertson”)
`
`U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2002/0055955 to Lloyd-Jones, et al.
`(“Lloyd-Jones”)
`Reserved
`
`Yuichi Yagawa et al., The Digital Album: A Personal File-tainment
`System, PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD IEEE INTERNATIONAL
`CONFERENCE ON MULTIMEDIA COMPUTING AND SYSTEMS
`
`ix
`
`

`

`Exhibit
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
`
`
`Description
`
`1016
`
`1017
`
`1019
`
`1020
`
`1021
`
`(MULTIMEDIA ’96), June 17-23, 1996, at 433-39.
`Ben Shneiderman & Hyunmo Kang, Direct Annotation: A Drag-and-
`Drop Strategy for Labeling Photos, 2000 IEEE INTERNATIONAL
`CONFERENCE ON INFORMATION VISUALIZATION (IV ’00), July 19-21,
`2000.
`Benjamin B. Bederson et al., Pad++: A Zoomable Graphical
`Sketchpad For Exploring Alternate Interface Physics, 7 J. OF VISUAL
`LANGUAGES & COMPUTING 3 (1996).
`1018 Mark Roseman & Saul Greenberg, Building Real-Time Groupware
`with GroupKit, a Groupware Toolkit, 3 ACM TRANSACTIONS ON
`COMPUTER-HUMAN INTERACTION 1 (Mar. 1996), at 66-106.
`Excerpts from ROB KIRKLAND ET AL., DOMINO SYSTEM
`ADMINISTRATION (1999).
`Excerpts from DOROTHY BURKE & JANE CALABRIA, TEN MINUTE
`GUIDE TO LOTUS NOTES 4.6 (1997).
`Elizabeth F. Churchill, et al., Anchored Conversations: Chatting in the
`Context of a Document, CHI ’00: PROCEEDINGS OF THE SIGCHI
`CONFERENCE ON HUMAN FACTORS IN COMPUTING SYSTEMS, April
`2000, at 454-61.
`1022 Mark S. Ackerman & David W. McDonald, Answer Garden 2:
`Merging Organizational Memory with Collaborative Help, CSCW
`’96: PROCEEDINGS OF THE 1996 ACM CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER
`SUPPORTED COOPERATIVE WORK, Nov. 1996, at 97-105.
`U.S. Patent No. 6,175,831 to Weinreich, et al.
`
`1023
`
`1024
`
`1025
`
`1026
`
`Excerpts from C.J. DATE, AN INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE SYSTEMS
`(6th ed. 1995).
`Excerpts from RANDY JAY YARGER ET AL., MYSQL & MSQL (1st ed.
`1999).
`Ulla Merz & Roger King, DIRECT: A Query Facility for Multiple
`Databases, 12 ACM TRANSACTIONS ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS 4
`(Oct. 1994), at 339-59.
`
`x
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`

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`Exhibit
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`1027
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`1028
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`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
`
`
`Description
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`Excerpts from CHARLES DYE, ORACLE DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS (1999).
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,442,573 to Schiller, et al.
`
`
`
`xi
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`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
`
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`Meta Platforms, Inc. (“Petitioner”) respectfully requests inter partes review
`
`of claims 1-26 of U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291 (EX1001, “’291 Patent”).
`
`The ’291 Patent relates to photo tagging over a communications network—
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`enabling “users to supply and/or receive information about the existence of objects
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`within images.” EX1001, 1:24-25. The specification claims that prior art systems
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`failed to “provide a way to obtain additional information about a person or object
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`such as contact information or to locate additional photos of the person or object.”
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`Id., 3:41-45.
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`But such networked photo tagging systems were available at the time.
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`Consequently, the Applicant spent over a decade during the prosecution of the patent
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`family attempting to distinguish the claimed system from the prior art, ultimately
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`overcoming the Examiner’s rejections in the ’291 Patent application only by
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`amending the claims to include a limitation that allows a user to photo tag another
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`user from a contact list or other list associated with the user. At allowance, the
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`Examiner remarked:
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`[W]hile the prior art … all teach the well-known concept of tagging
`users in a picture with metadata, it fails to teach the detailed claim
`language directed towards the GUI that provides a second user a list of
`associated users including a first user such that a subset of users that are
`associated with the second user are provided as options to associate
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`1
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`media with users in that subset.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
`
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`EX1002, 394. But the use of contact lists was by no means inventive in the early
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`2000s.
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`Identifying a user in a photo from a contact list was a known feature, and a
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`POSA understood that this feature could be used to encourage collaboration and
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`enhance the user experience. For example, U.S. Patent No. 7,461,099 (EX1005,
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`“Sharpe”) expressly teaches an archiving system that allowed “members of [a]
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`private group [to] work together … to identify, collect, translate, or create digital
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`media items.” EX1005, 5:7-10. Consequently, the system allowed the user to tag
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`its contacts in a photo using “[a] drop down box 55 [] provided for selecting any of
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`a number of people within the group.” Id., 6:67-7:1.
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`Accordingly, Petitioner respectfully requests the Board institute review and
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`find all challenged claims of the ’291 Patent unpatentable.
`
`II. MANDATORY NOTICES
`A. Real Parties-in-Interest
`The real parties-in-interest are Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.)
`
`and Instagram, LLC.
`
`B. Related Matters
`U.S. Patent Office records indicate that the ’291 Patent is assigned to Angel
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`Technologies Group LLC, (“PO”), which asserted the ’291 Patent in the following
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`2
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`litigation filed on October 26, 2021: Angel Technologies Group LLC v. Facebook,
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`Inc. and Instagram LLC, No. 2:21-cv-08459-CBM-JPR (C.D. Cal.). On June 30,
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`2022, the district court found the asserted patents, including the ’291 Patent, invalid
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`under 35 U.S.C. § 101 and dismissed the case. On July 29, 2022, PO filed a Notice
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`of Appeal. The case has been docketed as the following: Angel Technologies Group,
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`LLC v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. 2022-2100 (Fed. Cir.). The opening appeal brief
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`is currently due on November 2, 2022.
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`Petitioner has filed, at substantially the same time that this Petition was filed,
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`petitions for inter partes review against related family members U.S. Patent No.
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`8,954,432 (the “’432 Patent”), U.S. Patent No. 10,417,275 (the “’275 Patent”), and
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`U.S. Patent No. 10,628,480 (the “’480 Patent”).
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`C. Notice of Counsel and Service Information
`
`Lead Counsel
`Lisa K. Nguyen (Reg. No. 58,018)
`lisa.nguyen@allenovery.com
`Postal & Hand-Delivery Address:
`Allen & Overy LLP
`550 High Street
`Palo Alto, CA 94301
`Telephone: (650) 388-1724
`
`Back-Up Counsel
`David M. Tennant (Reg. No. 48,362)
`david.tennant@allenovery.com
`Postal & Hand-Delivery Address:
`Allen & Overy LLP
`1101 New York Ave NW
`Washington, DC 20005
`Telephone: (202) 683-3891
`Alan M. Billharz (Reg. No. 79,532)
`alan.billharz@allenovery.com
`Postal & Hand-Delivery Address:
`Allen & Overy LLP
`1101 New York Avenue, NW
`Washington, DC 20005
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`3
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
`
`
`Telephone: (202) 683-3862
`Chitrajit Chandrashekar
`(Reg. No. L0896)
`chitrajit.chandrashekar@allenovery.com
`Postal & Hand-Delivery Address:
`Allen & Overy LLP
`550 High Street
`Palo Alto, CA 94301
`Telephone: (650) 388-1736
`Eric E. Lancaster
`(pro hac vice to be filed)
`eric.lancaster@allenovery.com
`Postal & Hand-Delivery Address:
`Allen & Overy LLP
`550 High Street
`Palo Alto, CA 94301
`Telephone: (650) 388-1700
`Sara L. Townsend
`(pro hac vice to be filed)
`sara.townsend@allenovery.com
`Postal & Hand-Delivery Address:
`Allen & Overy LLP
`550 High Street
`Palo Alto, CA 94301
`Telephone: (650) 388-1733
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`A Power of Attorney is being filed concurrently with this Petition in accordance with
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`37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b). Petitioner consents to electronic service by e-mail.
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`Fee for Inter Partes Review
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`D.
`The Director is authorized to charge the fee specified by 37 C.F.R. § 42.15(a)
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`to Deposit Account No. 604184.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`E. Certification of Grounds for Standing
`Petitioner certifies pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(a) that the ’291 Patent is
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`available for inter partes review and that Petitioner is not barred or estopped from
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`requesting an inter partes review challenging the patent claims on the grounds
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`identified in this Petition.
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`III.
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`IDENTIFICATION OF CHALLENGES (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b))
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`Ground 1: Claims 1, 5, and 10-26 are obvious under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C.
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`§ 103 over Sharpe1 alone or in view of the knowledge of a person of ordinary skill
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`in the art.
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`Ground 2: Claims 1-26 are obvious under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103 over
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`Sharpe in view of Eintracht.2
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`Ground 3: Claims 18, 19, and 26 are obvious under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103
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`over Sharpe in view of Carey.3
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`1 U.S. Patent No. 7,461,099 to Sharpe et al. (EX1005, “Sharpe”) is prior art under
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`at least pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 102(e).
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`2 U.S. Patent No. 6,687,878 to Eintracht et al. (EX1006, “Eintracht”) is prior art
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`under at least pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 102(e).
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`3 U.S. Patent No. 6,714,793 to Carey et al. (EX1007, “Carey”) is prior art under at
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`least pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 102(e).
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`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`Ground 4: Claims 18, 19, and 26 are obvious under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103
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`over Sharpe in view of Eintracht and Carey.
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`IV. BACKGROUND
`A. Technology Overview
`With the advent of practical digital photography in the 1990s, digital photo
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`management became an area of rapid growth. EX1003 (“Bederson”) ¶¶88, 92-99.
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`By 2000, a wide range of technologies to organize, annotate, and share photos and
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`other kinds of media were well-known and in common use. Id. These technologies
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`were used personally and professionally, on personal computers, via the web, and
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`with different kinds of databases. Id. In particular, multiple systems for annotation
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`(or tagging) of photos were public by 2000. Id. Sharpe was one of those systems.
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`In parallel, the popularization of networking technologies in the 1990s drove
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`the development of rich collaborative applications called “groupware.” Id., ¶¶89,
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`100-06. Groupware was typically centralized and made available to users via a
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`server and a client application (e.g., a web browser). Id. Lotus Notes and Microsoft
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`Outlook are two major examples, but groupware applications also included early
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`wikis. Id. Groupware included multiple features that enabled users to work
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`collaboratively on documents and engage in discussions on team topics. Id.
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`Annotation of documents was one such groupware feature, one that is discussed by
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`Eintracht.
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`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`As groupware and the Internet were growing in popularity in the 1990s, so
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`were social networks. Id., ¶¶90, 107-10. Early examples of social networks were
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`AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and ICQ that each used buddy lists to enable real-
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`time chat among a group. Id. Carey is an AOL patent that discusses these buddy
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`lists. Id. By 2000, general online chatting had broadened to chatting about
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`documents. Id. Another use of social networks was to use one’s contacts or groups
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`to provide collaborative help. Id.
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`Thus, at the relevant time in 2000, it was an obvious design choice to develop
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`software that could use the features of all three technologies—photo management
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`software, groupware, and social networking. Id., ¶91.
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`The ’291 Patent
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`B.
`The ’291 Patent describes a well-known system and method “for storing and
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`sharing images such as photographs via a communications network,” such as the
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`Internet. EX1001, Abstract, 6:7-14. The system “allows the identification of objects
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`such as persons within the photos” and allows users “to automatically search for
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`photos and/or certain people in photos.” Id.
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`Like other annotation systems, the ’291 Patent stores and retrieves
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`photographs using associations between the users and photographs—specifically,
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`associations between their IDs. Id., 9:32-36, 9:47-51, Fig. 2. The system identifies
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`each user using a user ID (or unique “user identifier”) and each photograph using an
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`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`image ID (or unique “photo identifier”). Id., 7:21-23, 7:29-32. For example, the
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`system identifies “John Doe” using the unique user identifier “007,” and identifies
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`the image “my_image.jpg” using the image identifier “ABCD.” Id., 7:58-8:3. The
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`system can then enable searches of the stored photographs using associations
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`between the identifiers. Id., 8:66-9:2, 9:14-17, Fig. 2. For example, the system could
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`retrieve John Doe’s images by searching for all image identifiers associated with
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`John Doe’s user identifier, “007.” Id., 9:17-20.
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`To create the associations, the system uses a web page called an “identifying
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`page.” Id., 10:11-14. A user “may view the page with a browser and then identify
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`people within the photo 34 displayed on the page.” Id., 11:56-59. This creates an
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`association between the user and the image. Id., 10:37-42.
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`EX1001, Fig. 2 (annotated)
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`Notably, the claimed system allows a user to tag another user from a contact
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`list, as shown below in Figure 4. Id., 11:62-64 (“In one embodiment, the user may
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`simply select or click on the names of all people in the contact list 36 that are in the
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`displayed photograph 34.”), Fig. 4. “The contacts may, include, for example, friends
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`and family members who regularly appear in photographs taken by the user and/or
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`persons who may wish to receive or view photographs taken by the user.” Id., 9:39-
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`42. As explained in the prosecution history section, the challenged claims were
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`allowed on the basis of this contact list. Tellingly, the ’291 Patent does not
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`emphasize the contact list as an inventive aspect of the system. Instead, the ’291
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`Patent expressly states that the contact list is unnecessary. Id., 7:24-25 (“The list of
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`contacts is not necessary and may be stored in a separate database.”); 9:42-46 (“The
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`use of contacts, while not necessary, …”).
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`EX1001, Fig. 4 (annotated)
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`C. The Challenged Claims
`The challenged claims are entitled to an effective filing date of no earlier than
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`November 15, 2000.4
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`The ’291 Patent has 26 claims, 4 independent claims and 22 dependent claims.
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`The claims generally require:
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`(1) distinguishing between users via unique user identifiers, including an
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`identifying user and a named user;
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`(2) determining a unique digital media identifier corresponding to digital
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`media in response to the selection of the digital media item by the identifying user;
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`(3) receiving a selection of the named user from a list of other network users,
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`the list including users in a contact list or other list associated with the identifying
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`user;
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`(4) determining a unique user identifier of the named user in response to the
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`selection; and
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`4 Petitioner does not concede that any challenged claim is entitled to this provisional
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`priority date. For the purpose of this Petition, it is unnecessary to resolve whether
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`the ’291 Patent is entitled to provisional priority.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`(5) storing an association between a unique user identifier of the named user
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`and unique digital media identifier.
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`Independent claim 26 is the broadest. Claims 1, 24, and 25 include additional
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`limitations including storing the associations in a memory accessible to multiple
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`computing devices and presenting a graphical user interface (“GUI”) to the user,
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`among others. Claims 1 and 26 are method claims. Claim 24 is an apparatus claim
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`that is directed to a “physical computing system,” and claim 25 is a Beauregard
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`claim. The systems of both claims 24 and 25 perform the steps of claim 1.
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`Prosecution History
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`D.
`The Applicant only obtained allowance of the ’291 Patent by amending the
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`claims to allow a user to photo tag another user selected from a contact list. EX1002,
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`386 (“Notice of Allowance”). Indeed, it was the Examiner who proposed “adding
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`language about a contact list of the second user to make [the] claim [] allowable,”
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`after 17 years of prosecution of the patent family. Id., 282. The Examiner did not
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`identify Carey until the prosecution of a grandchild patent.
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`During prosecution, the original claims of the ’291 Patent were largely
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`rejected as anticipated by U.S. Patent Pub. 2002/0093678 to Skidgel, with the
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`remaining dependent claims rejected as obvious over Skidgel in view of
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`Shneiderman, among other combinations. Id., 136-68. Over the course of the next
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`year, the Applicant participated in four interviews with the Examiner: December 29,
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`U.S. Patent No. 9,959,291
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`2016, May 23, 20