In a further expansion of its massive litigation campaign, Electronic Communication Technologies LLC (f/k/a Eclipse IP, LLC) (ECT) has made another eleven filings against a swath of online retailers. The NPE accuses Acecom (2:16-cv-01363), Action Envelope & Printing (2:16-cv-01364), Artbeads.com (2:16-cv-01365), Birthday Direct (2:16-cv-01366), Bulbs.com (2:16-cv-01367), CandyWarehouse.com (2:16-cv-01368), IHF Holdings (Icon Health & Fitness) (2:16-cv-01370), Gump’s Holdings (2:16-cv-01369), Parts Express (2:16-cv-01371), Super Warehouse (2:16-cv-01372), and Tea Living (d/b/a Tea Collection) (2:16-cv-01373) of infringing three patents (7,319,414; 7,876,239; 9,373,261) generally related to tracking shipments online and notifying recipients of their progress. As in a previous round of complaints filed by ECT in late September, these latest defendants are alleged to infringe through the order and shipping confirmation features offered by their respective websites. On December 8, just two days after each complaint was filed, ECT dropped the ‘414 and ‘239 patents from all eleven cases by amended complaint. ECT did the same on December 2 for its case against ShoppersChoice.com (9:16-cv-81677), one of the suits brought in the NPE’s September wave of filings.

Prolific NPE Electronic Communication Technologies LLC (f/k/a Eclipse IP, LLC) (ECT) has filed another wave of filings in its massive litigation campaign, hitting retailers Atman (9:16-cv-81671), Icahn Enterprises (Pep Boys) (9:16-cv-81676), Lakeshore Equipment Company (9:16-cv-81672), Minted (9:16-cv-81669), Orvis (9:16-cv-81675), and ShoppersChoice.com (9:16-cv-81677) over the order and shipping confirmation features offered by their respective websites. Each company is alleged to infringe three patents (7,319,414; 7,876,239; 9,373,261) generally related to tracking shipments online and notifying recipients of their progress.

Shipping & Transit, LLC appears to have taken over a vast and infamous litigation campaign that was initiated by ArrivalStar SA and Melvino Technologies Limited over a decade ago. Since April 2015, Shipping & Transit has sued 56 companies, mostly retailers, over a group of former ArrivalStar patents generally related to shipment tracking and scheduling (6,904,359; 6,975,998; 7,030,781; 7,400,970). Shipping and notification services (e.g. an e-mail to a customer that includes a tracking link) have been the accused products throughout this campaign, and that focus continues in the latest suits, filed last week against Campmor (2:15-cv-08635), Freshpair (2:15-cv-08638), Glasses USA (2:15-cv-08641), and Suntek Systems (9:15-cv-81529). Out of the 55 cases filed in this campaign, only 15 remain active. Most have been dismissed with prejudice, many within three months of filing.

Arrivalstar S.A. and Melvino Technologies Limited show no sign of slowing their campaign, filing five suits against new defendants 1-800-Flowers, Alex and Ani, Connected Telematics, GoldKnickers, and Transporeon Group. Like in previous suits, defendants’ shipment notification and tracking services are accused of infringing four patents asserted in the cases (6,904,359, 6,952,645, 6,975,998, 7,400,970). The patents-in-suit, similar to other patents asserted in this campaign, relate to shipment notification and tracking. ArrivalStar is the exclusive licensee of the asserted patents, which are owned by Melvino.

Linea, Oriental Trading, and Zulily were added to the ongoing campaign from ArrivalStar S.A. and Melvino Technologies Limited. Three patents are asserted in the campaign, 6,904,359, 6,952,645, 7,400,970, which concern automatic tracking and notification systems. The coplaintiffs have targeted a variety of companies that track shipment information for clients, including retailers, food service providers, and consumer electronics manufacturers. The new defendants are online-only shopping and deals websites. Their shipment notification systems are accused of infringing the patents-in-suit.

Common coplaintiffs, ArrivalStar, SA and Melvino Technologies Limited, filed suit against Demandware, asserting a group of four patents (6,317,060, 6,904,359, 6,952,645, 7,400,970). The case is part of ArrivalStar and Melvino’s ongoing campaign that involves more than 30 patents, including those asserted against Demandware. The patents in the campaign relate to various aspects of tracking vehicle status and reporting that status via notifications. Demandware’s shipping notification system is accused of infringing the patents-in-suit.

ArrivalStar, the prolific litigation entity, filed a new suit against Oracle. Oracle’s supply chain management system is accused of infringing five patents (6486801; 6714859; 6904359; 6952645; 7400970). Since 2005, ArrivalStar has sued more than 500 defendants, most of them online retailers that send customer order shipment notifications.  12/11, Southern District of Florida, 1:13cv24467

ArrivalStar’s campaign related to vehicle tracking continues to grow with 17 new cases filed in late November, bringing the total number of litigations in the campaign to over 300. Some of the new defendants include Dunkin Brands, Lenovo, Panasonic, and Starbucks. The campaign includes three patents that relate to automatic tracking and notification systems for communicating delivery status to a user although not every patent is asserted in each case (6,904,359; 6,952,645; 7,400,970). ArrivalStar, along with its perpetual co-plaintiff Melvino Technologies, has asserted this group of patents against any company that provides shipment tracking information to users, including retailers, food service companies, and consumer electronics manufacturers. Melvino owns the asserted patents and ArrivalStar is the exclusive licensee. 11/21, Southern District of Florida, 1:13cv24225, 1:13cv24226, 1:13cv24227, 1:13cv24228, 1:13cv24229, 1:13cv24232, 1:13cv24233, 1:13cv24234, 11/22, Southern District of Florida, 1:13cv24246, 1:13cv24247, 1:13cv24249, 1:13cv24250, 1:13cv24251, 1:13cv24254, 1:13cv24255, 1:13cv24256, 1:13cv24257

ArrivalStar filed nine separate suits against Greenbrier Management Services, Joseph Smith Customs House Broker, K&N Engineering, Megatrux Transportation, Nexus Distribution, Sharp, Tubular, Union Pacific Railroad, Vehicle Tracking Solutions, and WCAF Shipment Management, alleging that the defendants’ notification and tracking systems infringe six patents related to GPS notification and vehicle or shipment tracking (6,486,801, 6,714,859, 6,904,359, 6,952,645, 7,030,781, 7,400,970). Since 2002, ArrivalStar has filed over 250 suits targeting a variety of retail, software, and transportation companies. The named inventor of the patents-in-suit is Martin Kelly Jones, ArrivalStar’s founder and CEO. ArrivalStar is the licensee of the patents-in-suit, which are currently owned by co-plaintiff Melvino Technologies Limited. 3/7, Southern District of Florida, 1:13cv20815, 1:13cv20818, 1:13cv20819, 1:13cv20820, 1:13cv20821, 1:13cv20822, 1:13cv20824, 1:13cv20825, 1:13cv20827.

ArrivalStar filed suit against RFID Global Solution alleging that defendants’ enterprise and mobile software systems, namely the Visi-Trac and GlobalTrac systems, infringe a patent related to an automated notification system for monitoring and reporting proximity of a vehicle (6,714,859). ArrivalStar filed 13 separate suits last week against HP, Allen-Edmonds, Channel Logistics, Coyote Logistics, FlightAware, FlightView, Lacoste, Nautica, New Balance, Quicksilver, S&A Distribution, Willis Shaw Express, and Xact Technology. Since 2002, ArrivalStar has filed over 200 suits targeting a variety of retail, software, and transportation companies. The named inventor of the patent-in-suit is Martin Kelly Jones, ArrivalStar’s founder and CEO. ArrivalStar is the licensee of the patent-in-suit, which is currently owned by Melvino Technologies Limited in 2006. 2/26, Northern District of Illinois, 1:13cv01489.