On April 1, 2024, an Eastern District of Texas jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiffs Pantech Corporation and Pantech Wireless, LLC, awarding against OnePlus $7.41M for infringement of three standard essential patents (SEPs) and $2.85M for infringement of the other two wireless communications patents-in-suit. Two weeks earlier, the same two plaintiffs filed a second suit against OnePlus in the same district (5:24-cv-00038), there alleging infringement of eight additional patents through the provision of smartphones and other devices compliant with the LTE and/or 5G cellular networking standards. Meanwhile, in a separate Pantech case also before District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III, LG Electronics (LGE) has just filed a sealed motion to dismiss for lack of standing.

Recently recorded patent assignments made public by the USPTO contain noteworthy transfers to multiple plaintiffs now in litigation, including a new source of patents for Apex Beam Technologies LLC, a new source of patents for Pantech Corporation, and a familiar source of patent rights for Crystal Leap Zrt, this time assigning patents directly, though. Movement can also be seen from troubled patent monetization firm IP Edge LLC, as well as movement from various sources to patent broker Allied Security Trust. Take a look.

Ideahub, Inc.’s Pantech Corporation, together with its subsidiary Pantech Wireless, LLC, have accused LG Electronics (LGE) (5:22-cv-00113) of infringing seven wireless communications patents, four of which are asserted in litigation for the first time. The accused products are “mobile phones, tablets, and certain other devices capable of operating on LTE and 5G cellular networks”, the certain other devices including identified telematic control units. The LGE suit joins one active case in this campaign, filed against OnePlus in early June; it is in the earliest stages, Pantech having just filed a motion to effect alternative service.

In May, the last open case in the litigation campaign of Ideahub, Inc.’s Pantech Corporation and Pantech Wireless, LLC, filed roughly one year ago against Yulong Computer Telecommunications Scientific Company (Coolpad Technologies), was dismissed with prejudice from the Eastern District of Texas following an April notice of settlement. Now, Pantech has sued OnePlus (5:22-cv-00069) in the same district, again targeting the provision of devices that are compliant with LTE and 5G cellular networking standards, as well as those that support certain touch-based functionalities.

Last month, RPX noted the movement of a portfolio of over 100 US patent assets from Signal Trust for Wireless Innovation—formed in 2013 by InterDigital, Inc. to “monetize a patent portfolio primarily related to 3G cellular infrastructure”—to Pantech Wireless, LLC, a Texas NPE with ties to Glocom, Inc. and Ideahub, Inc. Now several of those patents have appeared in litigation, Pantech Corporation and the Texas Pantech Wireless suing BLU Products (1:21-cv-22663) over the provision of devices, including certain S, G, and Vivo-series smartphones, that comply with LTE cellular networking standards. At issue are features such as the support for various 3GPP technical specifications and Google Cast streaming service. The Pantechs have filed the new case just as its previous suit against BLU Products has been greatly streamlined by stipulation.

USPTO records reflect recent movement of a portfolio of over 100 US patent assets from Signal Trust for Wireless Innovation—formed in 2013 by InterDigital, Inc. to “monetize a patent portfolio primarily related to 3G cellular infrastructure”—to a Texas NPE that appears to be tied to Glocom, Inc.