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Case 2:16-cv-00741-RWS Document 240 Filed 08/21/17 Page 1 of 6 PageID #: 4048
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`MARSHALL DIVISION
`
`
`
`
`UNILOC USA, INC., et al.,
`
`Plaintiffs,
`
`
`v.
`
`
`
`ADP, LLC,
`BIG FISH GAMES, INC.,
`BLACKBOARD, INC.,
`BOX, INC.,
`ZENDESK, INC.,
`
`Defendants.
`
`


`§ Case No. 2:16-cv-00741-RWS

`
`LEAD CASE


`§ Case No. 2:16-cv-00858-RWS
`§ Case No. 2:16-cv-00859-RWS
`§ Case No. 2:16-cv-00860-RWS
`§ Case No. 2:16-cv-00863-RWS
`
`
`REPLY IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR
`SUPPLEMENTAL CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEFING
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Case 2:16-cv-00741-RWS Document 240 Filed 08/21/17 Page 2 of 6 PageID #: 4049
`
`Defendants ADP, LLC and Big Fish Games, Inc. (“the Moving Defendants”) have asked
`
`the Court to hear supplemental briefing addressing the indefiniteness of 11 of the over 100 claim
`
`terms drafted in means-plus-function form that are presently asserted by Plaintiffs.1 (D.I. 217.)
`
`Each such claim term lacks a corresponding algorithm in the written description sufficiently
`
`linked to its claimed function and is therefore indefinite. (See id. at 3 (citing Cloud Farm Assocs.
`
`LP v. Volkswagen Grp. of Am., Inc., 674 F. App’x 1000, 1009 (Fed. Cir. 2017).)
`
`Plaintiffs object to briefing this issue on the sole basis that the Moving Defendants’
`
`request is allegedly untimely under the Local Rules. In fact, the motion is timely and ripe for
`
`determination. Plaintiffs continue to assert dozens of means-plus-function claims against each
`
`defendant, despite failing to provide any specific identifications of corresponding structure in
`
`their P. R. 3-1 Infringement Contentions for these claims. Plaintiffs will submit expert reports on
`
`infringement (for which Plaintiffs bear the burden of proof) against defendants in the AVG cases
`
`on September 13 (consolidated under 2:16-cv-393), and defendants in the ADP cases
`
`(consolidated under 2:16-cv-741) on September 22. Plaintiffs’ expert will have to understand the
`
`structure supporting these claims to address their infringement, and the scope of each of these
`
`claims is affected by the issue raised in the Moving Defendants’ brief. Yet, as set forth in
`
`Moving Defendants’ brief, Plaintiffs and the Moving Defendants presently disagree as to
`
`whether any structure sufficiently supports these claims. When parties disagree as to the
`
`construction and indefiniteness of a claim under 35 U.S.C. 112 ¶6, the Court resolves that
`
`
`1 Plaintiffs have repeatedly refused to provide their preliminary and final election of asserted claims as required
`under General Rule 13-20. Thus the large total number of means-plus-function limitations currently at issue is a
`result of Plaintiffs’ refusal to comply with the reduction of asserted claims mandated by the local general order. The
`Moving Defendants’ brief is focused on eleven critical terms, which in fact reduce to six substantive “means” terms
`and five duplicative “computer readable program code means” terms which Plaintiffs appear to agree are of identical
`scope. Those terms touch each independent system claim asserted by Uniloc across the patents-in-suit and thus
`could significantly reduce the scope of this case.
`
`- 2 -
`
`

`

`Case 2:16-cv-00741-RWS Document 240 Filed 08/21/17 Page 3 of 6 PageID #: 4050
`
`disagreement as a matter of law. See Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. v. St. Jude Med., Inc., 296 F.3d
`
`1106, 1113 (Fed. Cir. 2002).
`
`The Moving Defendants previously raised the uncertainty of the proper construction for
`
`these claims in their Joint Submissions to the Court (D.I. 148 at 2-3, D.I. 186 at 1-2), and again
`
`at the Court’s August 10 Markman hearing, where they noted their position that the
`
`specifications of the patents-in-suit lacked clear algorithmic structures linked to the claimed
`
`functions. After the Markman hearing, the Court found certain means-plus-function claim terms
`
`indefinite. See Markman Order (D.I. 233 at 51-55.) As acknowledged at that hearing, Plaintiffs
`
`provided only an insufficient, blanket citation to six columns of written description to support
`
`those terms. Likewise, no written description clearly supports the additional claims addressed by
`
`the Moving Defendants’ brief.
`
`Defendants ask the Court to enter their proposed brief (D.I. 218) and set a prompt
`
`response deadline for the Plaintiffs, so that the scope of the asserted means-plus-function claims
`
`can be resolved before expert reports are due.
`
`
`
`Dated: August 21, 2017
`
`
`
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`
`
`/s/ Matthew J. Moffa
`William J. McCabe
`E-Mail: WMcCabe@perkinscoie.com
`Matthew J. Moffa
`E-Mail: MMoffa@perkinscoie.com
`PERKINS COIE LLP
`30 Rockefeller Plaza, 22nd Floor
`New York, NY 10112-0085
`Telephone: (212) 262-6900
`Facsimile: (212) 977-1649
`
`Victoria Q. Smith
`E-Mail: vsmith@perkinscoie.com
`
`- 3 -
`
`

`

`Case 2:16-cv-00741-RWS Document 240 Filed 08/21/17 Page 4 of 6 PageID #: 4051
`
`
`
`PERKINS COIE LLP
`3150 Porter Drive
`Palo Alto, CA 94304
`Telephone: (650) 838-4321
`Facsimile: (650) 838-4350
`
`Michael E. Jones
`Texas Bar No.: 10929400
`E-Mail: mikejones@potterminton.com
`Patrick C. Clutter
`Texas Bar No. 24036374
`E-Mail: patrickclutter@potterminton.com
`POTTER MINTON, PC
`110 North College Suite 500
`Tyler, TX 75702
`Telephone: (903) 597-8311
`Facsimile: (903) 593-0846
`
`ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANT ADP,
`LLC
`
`
`
`/s/ Douglas F. Stewart, with permission by
`Matthew J. Moffa
`Douglas F. Stewart
`doug.stewart@bracewelllaw.com
`Bracewell LLP
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6200
`Seattle, Washington 98104-7018
`(206) 204-6200 (t)
`(800) 404-3970 (f)
`
`David J. Ball
`david.ball@bracewelllaw.com
`Bracewell LLP
`1251 Avenue of the Americas
`New York, New York 10020
`(212) 508-6100 (t)
`(800) 404-3970 (f)
`
`Timothy R. Geiger
`tim.geiger@bracewelllaw.com
`Bracewell LLP
`711 Louisiana, Suite 2300
`Houston, Texas 77002
`
`- 4 -
`
`

`

`Case 2:16-cv-00741-RWS Document 240 Filed 08/21/17 Page 5 of 6 PageID #: 4052
`
`(713)-223-2300
`(800)-404-3970
`
`ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANT BIG
`FISH GAMES, INC.
`
`
`- 5 -
`
`

`

`Case 2:16-cv-00741-RWS Document 240 Filed 08/21/17 Page 6 of 6 PageID #: 4053
`
`
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`I hereby certify that all counsel of record who have consented to electronic service are
`
`being served with a copy of this document via the Court’s CM/ECF system per Local Rule CV-
`
`5(a)(3) on August 21, 2017.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`/s/ Matthew J. Moffa
`Matthew J. Moffa
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`- 6 -
`
`

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