ASUS filed an action for declaratory judgment against Round Rock Research [NPE], seeking declaration that components in its phones, tablets, computers, and monitors do not infringe six patents related to flash memory and semiconductor manufacturing techniques.  According to the complaint, ASUS received demand letters from Round Rock and IP Value, a company Round Rock hired as “its agent to commercialize Round Rock’s patents and other intellectual property rights worldwide.”  Round Rock acquired its patent portfolio from Micron Technology and has filed over 15 suits since October 2010 against defendants including Acer, Amazon, ASUSTek, Dell, Gateway, HTC, Lenovo, and Oracle.  Round Rock has also been subject to three prior actions for declaratory judgment brought by ASUStek (over ten different patents than the ones in this case), Motorola, and Sandisk.  Round Rock has reportedly licensed its portfolio to Apple, Micron, Nokia, Samsung and Sony and an unknown buyer purchased a Round Rock covenant not to sue for over $35M at the ICAP Ocean Tomo Spring 2011 Auction.  Round Rock was formed by John Desmarais, the former head of patent litigation at Kirkland & Ellis.  Round Rock’s VP of Licensing, Gerard deBlasi, served as the Executive VP at IP Value from 2005 – 2011 and serves on IP Value’s Board of Directors.  4/26, Northern District of California, Judge Paul Singh Grewal, 5:2012cv02099.