New NPE Targets Wide Variety of Remote Device Control Applications
New NPE Olivistar filed suits against forty four companies including ADT, Amazon, American Traffic Solutions, Belkin, Blackberry, Boxee, Creston, D-Link, Facebook, Global Media, Honeywell, LG, Logitec, Lowes, Motorola, NETGEAR, OnStar, Panasonic, Philips, Roku, Samsung, Skype, Somfy, Sony, Tivo, Vivint, and Vizio. Olivistar’s complaints accuse a broad spectrum of products and services including online chat, home security and automation, wireless infant monitors, streaming media players, and a game console. The patents-in-suit relate to networked-based remote device control (6,839,731, 8,239,481). One of the two patents (the ‘731 patent) was previously asserted in litigation between 2010 and 2011 against at least ten companies by IPNav-entity Vigilos. That campaign included ADT, Cisco, DISH, Intel, and Sling Media; all defendants were later dismissed from the cases, mostly with prejudice within six months to a year of the complaint being filed. RPX reviewed the ‘731 and ‘481 patents in an open market opportunity in 2008 (Vigilos-OMA). In 2010 the patents were assigned to Boulder River Holdings, an entity that appears to be tied to Vigilos. No subsequent assignments have been recorded with the USPTO. 4/14, Texas Eastern District Court, 2:14cv00338, 2:14cv00339, 2:14cv00340, 2:14cv00341, 2:14cv00342, 2:14cv00343, 2:14cv00344, 2:14cv00345, 2:14cv00346, 2:14cv00347, 2:14cv00348, 2:14cv00349; 4/23, Texas Eastern District Court, 2:14cv00390, 2:14cv00391, 2:14cv00393, 2:14cv00395, 2:14cv00399; 4/24, Texas Eastern District Court, 2:14cv00512, 2:14cv00514, 2:14cv00515, 2:14cv00516, 2:14cv00517; 2:14cv00518, 2:14cv00519, 2:14cv00520, 2:14cv00521, 2:14cv00522, 2:14cv00524, 2:14cv00525, 2:14cv00526, 2:14cv00528, 2:14cv0052, 2:14cv00530, 2:14cv00531, 2:14cv00533, 2:14cv00534, 2:14cv00536, 2:14cv00537, 2:14cv00538, 2:14cv00539, 2:14cv00540, 2:14cv00541, 2:14cv00542, 2:14cv00543; 4/25, Texas Eastern District Court, 2:14cv00545, 2:14cv00546, 2:14cv00547, 2:14cv00548; 2:14cv00550, 2:14cv00551; 2:14cv00553, 2:14cv00554, 2:14cv00555
