Molex Incorporatedv.Bel Fuse Inc.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Sep 24, 2014

10851618 (P.T.A.B. Sep. 24, 2014)

Trials@uspto.gov Paper: 11
Tel: 571-272-7822 Entered: September 24, 2014

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
_______________
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
_______________
MOLEX, INC.,
Petitioner,

v.

BEL FUSE INC.,
Patent Owner.

_______________

IPR2014-00969
Patent 7,123,117 B2
_______________

Before WILLIAM V. SAINDON, DONNA M. PRAISS, and
MATTHEW R. CLEMENTS, Administrative Patent Judges.

PRAISS, Administrative Patent Judge.

JUDGMENT
Termination of the Proceeding
37 C.F.R. § 42.72

The parties have requested that this trial proceeding be terminated pursuant
to a settlement. On September 18, 2014, the Board authorized the parties to file a
joint request to terminate and to file the settlement agreement as business
confidential under 37 C.F.R. 42.74(c). Paper 7. The parties filed the joint motion
to terminate pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 317 on September 22, 2014. Paper 9.
IPR2014-00969
Patent 7,123,117 B2

2

Accompanying the motion, the parties filed a true copy of a settlement agreement
(Ex. 1999) referenced as “Exhibit 1” in the joint motion to terminate (Paper 9).
The settlement agreement was filed with a request to treat the settlement agreement
as business confidential and to be kept separate from the patent file pursuant to
35 U.S.C. § 317(b) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.74. Paper 9, 2.
The petition requesting inter partes review of U.S. Patent 7,123,117 B2 was
filed on June 17, 2014. Paper 1. The preliminary response of the patent owner
was due on September 22, 2014. This matter, therefore, is in its preliminary
stages.
Furthermore, a Stipulated Partial Dismissal of the claims involving U.S.
Patent 7,123,117 B2 was filed in the related district court litigation, Bel Fuse Inc.
et al. v. Molex Inc., et al., Case No. 1:13-cv-02566-JBS-JS (D. N.J.). Paper 9, 1-2
(referred to as “Exhibit 2”); Ex. 1999.
The Board generally expects that a proceeding will terminate after the filing
of a settlement agreement. See, e.g., Office Patent Trial Practice Guide, 77 Fed.
Reg. 48,756, 48,768 (Aug. 14, 2012). Under these circumstances, the Board
determines that it is appropriate to terminate this proceeding without rendering a
final written decision. 37 C.F.R. § 42.72. Therefore, the joint motion to terminate
the proceeding is granted.
Accordingly, it is
ORDERED that the parties’ request that the settlement agreement be treated
as business confidential information, to be kept separate from the patent file, is
granted;
FURTHER ORDERED that the joint motion to terminate the proceeding is
granted and this proceeding is hereby terminated.

IPR2014-00969
Patent 7,123,117 B2

3

For Petitioner:

David M. Airan
Wesley O. Mueller
LEYDIG, VOIT & MAYER, LTD.
dairan@leydig.com
wmueller@leydig.com

For Patent Owner:

Martin G. Raskin
David B. Sunshine
Andrew P. Nemiroff
COZEN O’CONNOR
mraskin@cozen.com
dsunshine@cozen.com
anemiroff@cozen.com