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Case 2:21-cv-00040-JRG Document 57 Filed 07/28/21 Page 1 of 8 PageID #: 930
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT
`COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT
`OF TEXAS MARSHALL DIVISION
`
`
`GESTURE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS,
`LLC,
`
`
`SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
`AND SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA,
`INC.,
`
`Defendants.
`
`
`
`PLAINTIFF GTP’S SUR-REPLY TO SAMSUNG DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO
`STRIKE PLAINTIFF’S INFRINGEMENT CONTENTIONS AND/OR COMPEL
`INFRINGEMENT CONTENTIONS COMPLYING WITH THE
`COURT’S PATENT RULES
`
`Plaintiff
`
`v.
`HUAWEI DEVICE CO., LTD.,
`HUAWEI DEVICE USA, INC.,
`
`
`Defendants.
`
`
`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
`
`C.A. NO. 2:21-cv-00040-JRG
` LEAD CONSOLIDATED CASE
`
`C.A. NO. 2:21-cv-00041-JRG
`
`
`

`

`Case 2:21-cv-00040-JRG Document 57 Filed 07/28/21 Page 2 of 8 PageID #: 931
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`GTP has provided Defendants Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Samsung Electronics
`
`America, Inc. (collectively, “Samsung”) fair and adequate notice of its infringement theories from
`
`the day it served its Initial Infringement Contentions (“IIC”). After numerous meet and confers
`
`and at Samsung’s request, GTP served Amended Infringement Contentions (“AIC”) to resolve any
`
`potential ambiguity that Samsung saw in GTP’s IICs. Yet Samsung continues to ask for more and
`
`attempts to make this case about something it is not. GTP has repeatedly informed Samsung that
`
`the features used by the various infringing phones and tablets (“Accused Products”) are not part
`
`of GTP’s infringement theories. GTP has identified the hardware components relevant to its
`
`infringement theory for each asserted method and apparatus claim (the “Asserted Claims”). GTP
`
`has also provided Samsung with example articles discussing how the hardware in the Accused
`
`Products detects gestures or other control commands using various features. GTP does not need
`
`to provide additional documentation on the features because the features themselves are not part
`
`of GTP’s infringement theories.
`
`GTP has properly and adequately charted every Asserted Claim. Samsung blatantly
`
`misquotes the Complaint in a smoke-and-mirror effort to divert the Court’s attention from the issue
`
`at hand. In its complaint, GTP identified the Accused Products as having “features including, but
`
`not limited to, at least the following: Gesture Detection . . . Smile Shot (the ‘Features’)” that “drive
`
`the popularity and sales of the Accused Products.” (Dkt. No. 1 at ¶¶ 25-26). GTP did not, and has
`
`not, accused the features of infringement. GTP has never defined the term “Accused Features”—
`
`it is a red herring offer by Samsung in an effort to waste judicial and party resources and time.1
`
`
`1 Samsung cites to two typographical errors in the Complaint that reference “Accused Features,”
`(Reply at p.1 and fn. 2 (citing Dkt. No. 1 at ¶¶ 25, 46 )) but the term “Accused Features” is not a
`
`
`
`1
`
`

`

`Case 2:21-cv-00040-JRG Document 57 Filed 07/28/21 Page 3 of 8 PageID #: 932
`
`II. ARGUMENT
`
`The Motion seeks to makes the case about features, but it is not. GTP has not conceded
`
`any position to Samsung but, rather, has adequately charted every claim and provided fair notice
`
`of its infringement theories. Additionally, GTP’s AICs are not required to identify “gestures”
`
`because the infringement theories are not based on “gestures,” and GTP has shown good cause to
`
`add the two originally omitted Samsung products to its AICs. The AICs comply with the Local
`
`Patent Rules, and the Motion should be denied as explained below.
`
`A.
`
`The AICs Properly Accuse And Chart The Asserted Method Claims.
`
`GTP’s AICs satisfy and comply with all of the applicable provisions and requirements
`
`regarding a method patent, pursuant to Local Patent Rule 3-1 (hereinafter “P.R. 3-1”). Rule 3.1
`
`requires the party alleging infringement of a method patent to provide information that includes
`
`“each method or process… identified by name, if known, or by any product, device, or apparatus
`
`which when used, allegedly results in the practice of the claimed method or process.” (See P.R. 3-
`
`1). GTP’s AICs comply with the requirements of P.R. 3-1 by identifying the components, by
`
`name, and the manner in which they perform the claimed methods. (See Dkt. No. 54-5, Ex. B pp.
`
`1-6, 11-30; Ex. C at pp. 5-9; Ex. D at pp. 1-6, 10-15). Where necessary, GTP identified Samsung
`
`features, by name, that use gestures to meet the implemented methods. See Id. Ex. C. pp. 1-2
`
`(“The gestures that can be determined by the Accused Products include, but are not limited to
`
`gestures associated with: Gesture Detection . . . Beauty Mode, and Portrait Mode.”)
`
`As required by P.R. 3-1, GTP’s AICs identify each method step, or claim element, of the
`
`Asserted Claims, that Samsung has used, and continues to use, in manufacturing and selling the
`
`
`defined term in the complaint. See Dkt. No. 1. In every other instance when referencing Samsung
`features, GTP uses the defined term “Features.” See Dkt. No. 1 at ¶¶ 26, 41, 56, and 71.
`
`
`
`2
`
`

`

`Case 2:21-cv-00040-JRG Document 57 Filed 07/28/21 Page 4 of 8 PageID #: 933
`
`Accused Products that implement the various patented methods. The Asserted Claims clearly set
`
`forth the sequencing of steps and the components used in performing the claimed methods. GTP
`
`should not be further obligated to explain those sequencing of steps and claimed components to
`
`Samsung. For method claims, P.R. 3-1 requires identification of the “accused method” name or
`
`the equipment used in performing the steps of the “accused method,” if known. GTP provided
`
`both in its AICs. See Whipstock Servs. v. Schlumberger Oilfield Servs., No. 6:09-cv-113, 2010
`
`U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1395, at *6 (E.D. Tex. Jan. 8, 2010) (Love, J.) (denying defendant’s motion to
`
`strike plaintiff’s infringement contentions and finding that plaintiff adequately charted the method
`
`claims under the local rules.).
`
`B.
`
`GTP’s AICs Properly Provide Fair And Adequate Notice Of GTP’s
`
`Infringement Theory For Each Accused Product.
`
`GTP has complied with the Local Rules by charting every Accused Product. Samsung’s
`
`continuing effort to make this case about “Accused Features” is a red herring that seeks to waste
`
`judicial and party resources and time. As discussed above, GTP has never defined the term
`
`“Accused Features.” That is a term that Samsung seeks to force into GTP’s infringement theories.
`
`Despite Samsung’s reply argument, GTP cannot concede something it has never done. GTP’s
`
`Complaint defines the term “Features” as shown below:
`
`
`
`3
`
`
`
`

`

`Case 2:21-cv-00040-JRG Document 57 Filed 07/28/21 Page 5 of 8 PageID #: 934
`
`Dkt. No. 1, ¶ 25 (annotated). To the extent GTP’s AIC’s reference the Features, it is only to
`
`identify gestures or other control commands used by said Features. See e.g., Dkt. No. 54-5, Ex. C
`
`at p. 6 (“The gestures that can be determined by the Accused Products include, but are not limited
`
`to, gestures associated with: Gesture Detection . . . and Portrait Mode.). As discussed in the
`
`Response, GTP has listed every hardware component and charted them in its AICs. Resp. at p. 5-
`
`8. Only were appropriate, GTP has made the foregoing reference to gestures or other similar
`
`commands. GTP has complied with the Local Rules.
`
`GTP has not conceded that it failed to provide documentation for each Feature because it
`
`is under no obligation to do so. As GTP has reiterated to Samsung numerous times, this case is
`
`not about “Accused Features” because it is about the combination of hardware components and
`
`software implementation that meet the limitations of the Asserted Claims. All of the links provided
`
`by GTP in its AICs are merely examples of Samsung articles discussing how the Features use
`
`gestures or other commands and interact with the components from the Accused Products that are
`
`charted with respect to the elements of each claim. Furthermore, Samsung’s allegation that GTP
`
`has provided “five more” new links is inaccurate. Reply at p. 3. Two of the links provided in the
`
`Response were also cited in the Complaint. Dkt. No. 1 at fn. 3-4; Dkt. No. 54 at fn. 3-4. The
`
`remaining three links discussing “Live Masks Track/Apply” are equally accessible to Samsung
`
`with a simple search engine query. Resp. at p. 12. GTP is under no obligation to hand-walk
`
`Samsung through the development of its defense theories.
`
`C.
`
` GTP’s AICs Do Not Need To Identify Any Claimed Gestures Because The
`Claims Are Not Directed Towards Specific Gestures.
`
`The Asserted Claims are about devices, not gestures. The Complaint does not rely on
`
`
`
`“Accused Features” to allege infringement of the patents in this case. To the extent gestures or
`
`commands are used by the Features, GTP has properly referenced those gestures or commands in
`
`
`
`4
`
`

`

`Case 2:21-cv-00040-JRG Document 57 Filed 07/28/21 Page 6 of 8 PageID #: 935
`
`its AICS. Apparently, Samsung wants GTP to list every permutation of any gesture or other
`
`command that could possibly be used by the Features in Samsung’s products. That level of detail
`
`is not required because GTP’s infringement theories, and the claims themselves ,do not require
`
`specific gestures or commands for infringement. Nevertheless, even if GTP’s infringement
`
`theories relied on various individual gestures, which they do not, GTP cannot list all of the various
`
`gestures or commands without discovery, nor is it required to do so in its infringement contentions.
`
`Gree, Inc. v. Supercell Oy, No. 2:19-cv-00311-JRG-RSP, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26073, at *11
`
`(E.D. Tex. Feb. 11, 2021) (Payne, J.) (quoting Orion IP, LLC v. Staples, Inc., 407 F. Supp. 2d
`
`815, 817 (E.D. Tex. 2006) (Davis, J)) (“[A] plaintiff need not provide evidence for ‘every possible
`
`manifestation of the alleged infringement’ in its infringement contentions.”)
`
`D.
`
`GTP Has Shown Good Cause To Add The Two Inadvertently Omitted
`Products To Its AICs.
`
`GTP inadvertently omitted the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0
`
`
`
`(2019) from its IICs. The omission was discovered after confirming information from Samsung
`
`that certain variations of these products were not sold in the United States. Upon discovery of the
`
`omission, GPT promptly added the two devices to its AICs. Samsung is aware that this was an
`
`accidental omission by GTP, it cannot show any prejudice by the addition of the two devices at
`
`this stage, and GTP has demonstrated good cause. GTP respectfully requests that the Court permit
`
`the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) to remain part of the AICs, or
`
`in the alternative, respectfully requests leave to supplement with these two devices.
`
`III.
`
`CONCLUSION
`
`For the foregoing reasons, GTP respectfully submits that the Motion should be denied.
`
`
`
`5
`
`

`

`Case 2:21-cv-00040-JRG Document 57 Filed 07/28/21 Page 7 of 8 PageID #: 936
`
`Dated: July 28, 2021
`
`
`
`
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`By: /s/ Fred I. Williams
`Fred I. Williams
`Texas State Bar No. 00794855
`Michael Simons
`Texas State Bar No. 24008042
`WILLIAMS SIMONS & LANDIS PLLC
`327 Congress Ave., Suite 490
`Austin, TX 78701
`Tel: 512-543-1354
`fwilliams@wsltrial.com
`msimons@wsltrial.com
`
`Todd E. Landis
`State Bar No. 24030226
`WILLIAMS SIMONS & LANDIS PLLC
`2633 McKinney Ave., Suite 130 #366
`Dallas, TX 75204
`Tel: 512-543-1357
`tlandis@wsltrial.com
`
`John Wittenzellner
`Pennsylvania State Bar No. 308996
`WILLIAMS SIMONS & LANDIS PLLC
`1735 Market Street, Suite A #453
`Philadelphia, PA 19103
`Tel: 512-543-1373
`johnw@wsltrial.com
`
`Attorneys for Plaintiff
`Gesture Technology Partners, LLC.
`
`
`
`
`
`6
`
`

`

`Case 2:21-cv-00040-JRG Document 57 Filed 07/28/21 Page 8 of 8 PageID #: 937
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`The undersigned hereby certifies that on July 28, 2021 the undersigned caused a copy of
`
`the foregoing document to be served on all counsel of record, via the Court’s CM/ECF system,
`
`pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
`
`By: /s/ Fred I. Williams
`Fred I. Williams
`
`
`
`7
`
`

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