12289825 (P.T.A.B. Jan. 28, 2015)

HTC Corporationv.Cellular Communications Equipment LLC

Patent Trial and Appeal BoardJan 28, 2015

12289825 (P.T.A.B. Jan. 28, 2015)

Trials@uspto.gov Paper 13 Tel: 571-272-7822 Entered: February 12, 2015 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE _______________ BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD _______________ NEC CORPORATION OF AMERICA, NEC MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD., HTC CORPORATION, ZTE (USA), AMAZON.COM, INC., PANTECH CO., LTD., PANTECH WIRELESS, INC., DELL INC., LG ELECTRONICS, INC., and LG ELECTRONICS U.S.A., INC., Petitioner, v. CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT LLC, Patent Owner. _______________ Case IPR2014-01131 (Patent 6,819,923 B1) Case IPR2014-01133 (Patent 7,218,923) Case IPR2014-01134 (Patent 7,914,174) Case IPR2014-01135 (Patent 6,377,804 B1) Case IPR2014-01136 (Patent 8,055,820) Case IPR2014-01318 (Patent 6,810,019) _______________ Before JENNIFER S. BISK, GREGG I. ANDERSON, and ROBERT J. WEINSCHENK, Administrative Patent Judges. BISK, Administrative Patent Judge. ORDER Termination of the Proceeding with Respect to NEC and Decision on Motions to Withdraw and Substitute Counsel 35 U.S.C. § 317(a); 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(e) IPR2014-01131 (Patent 6,819,923 B1) IPR2014-01133 (Patent 7,218,923) IPR2014-01134 (Patent 7,914,174) IPR2014-01135 (Patent 6,377,804 B1) IPR2014-01136 (Patent 8,055,820) IPR2014-01318 (Patent 6,810,019) 2 On February 5, 2015, Petitioners NEC Corporation of America and NEC Mobile Communications, Ltd. (collectively, “NEC”) and Patent Owner Cellular Communications Equipment LLC requested that these proceedings be terminated with respect to NEC pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 317(a). See e.g., IPR2014-01131, Paper 19. NEC and Patent Owner represent that they have no remaining dispute involving any of the patents involved in these proceedings. Id. With their motion to terminate, NEC and Patent Owner also filed a copy of a written agreement terminating the underlying district court litigation between them. See e.g., IPR2014-01131, Ex. 1019. The parties request that the agreement be kept confidential. See e.g., IPR2014-01131, Paper 19. These proceedings have not yet resulted in a final decision on the merits. Accordingly, this proceeding is terminated with respect to NEC. 35 U.S.C. § 317(a) (“An inter partes review instituted under this chapter shall be terminated with respect to any petitioner upon the joint request of the petitioner and the patent owner, unless the Office has decided the merits of the proceeding before the request for termination is filed.”). In conjunction with this request to terminate, NEC requests withdrawal of its counsel, attorneys, Robert W. Busby, John D. Zele, Jeremy D. Peterson, and Adam Brooke (collectively, “NEC Counsel”), from each of the proceedings. See e.g., IPR2014-01131, Paper 20. For the subset of these proceedings in which NEC Counsel is currently listed as lead counsel, NEC requests that current backup IPR2014-01131 (Patent 6,819,923 B1) IPR2014-01133 (Patent 7,218,923) IPR2014-01134 (Patent 7,914,174) IPR2014-01135 (Patent 6,377,804 B1) IPR2014-01136 (Patent 8,055,820) IPR2014-01318 (Patent 6,810,019) 3 counsel, representing the Petitioners that remain in the proceedings, be substituted as lead counsel. Id. Under the circumstances, we see no reason to deny the motion. Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the joint motion to terminate each of the listed proceedings with respect to NEC is granted; FURTHER ORDERED that the joint request that the settlement agreement be treated as business confidential information and be kept separate from the file of the involved patents under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 317(b) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c), is granted; FURTHER ORDERED that NEC Counsel are permitted to withdraw as counsel in the above-listed proceedings; FURTHER ORDERED that backup counsel may be substituted as lead counsel in the above-listed proceedings; FURTHER ORDERED that these proceedings will continue with the remaining named petitioners. IPR2014-01131 (Patent 6,819,923 B1) IPR2014-01133 (Patent 7,218,923) IPR2014-01134 (Patent 7,914,174) IPR2014-01135 (Patent 6,377,804 B1) IPR2014-01136 (Patent 8,055,820) IPR2014-01318 (Patent 6,810,019) 4 PETITIONER: Steven A. Moore Richard W. Thill PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP Steve.moore@pillsburylaw.com Richard.thill@pillsburylaw.com David Hadden Saina S. Shamilov FENWICK & WEST LLP dhadden@fenwick.com sshamilov@fenwick.com Alan A. Wright Steve B. Kelber H.C. PARK & ASSOCIATES, PLC awright@parklaw.com skelber@parklaw.com Robert W. Busby John D. Zele Jeremy D. Peterson Adam D. Brooke MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP rbusbv@,morganlewis.com jzele@morganlewis.com jpeterson@morganlewis.com abrooke@morganlewis.com Tammy M. Pennington BAKER BOTTS Tammy.pennington@bakerbotts.com IPR2014-01131 (Patent 6,819,923 B1) IPR2014-01133 (Patent 7,218,923) IPR2014-01134 (Patent 7,914,174) IPR2014-01135 (Patent 6,377,804 B1) IPR2014-01136 (Patent 8,055,820) IPR2014-01318 (Patent 6,810,019) 5 Baldine Paul William J. Barrow Robert G. Pluta Amanda K. Streff MAYER BROWN LLP bpaul@mayerbrown.com wbarrow@mayerbrown.com rpluta@mayerbrown.com astreff@mayerbrown.com PATENT OWNER: Amedeo Ferraro Wesley Meinerding MARTIN & FERRARO, LLP aferraro@martinferraro.com wmeinerding@martinferraro.com

HTC Corporation v. Cellular Communications Equipment LLC