In April 2019, Zyrcuits IP LLC, an NPE apparently associated with monetization firm IP Edge LLC, picked up the bulk of the patent portfolio once held (and litigated) by Linex Technologies, Inc. Last week, Zyrcuits asserted the first of those 30 US patents, filing complaints against Signify (1:19-cv-01609), Spectrum Brands (1:19-cv-01610), Wink Labs (1:19-cv-01607), and Wirepath Home Systems (Control4) (1:19-cv-01608), in the District of Delaware and against Samsung (2:19-cv-00298) in the Eastern District of Texas. The sole asserted patent generally relates to spread-spectrum wireless data transmission, with infringement allegations targeting the provision of smart home products supporting the ZigBee wireless communications standard.

The portfolio of patents received by monetization firm IP Edge LLC from Siemens in October 2018 has now given rise to eight campaigns, with the most recent waged by plaintiff Sonohm Licensing LLC. The NPE has accused Best Buy (Great Call) (1:19-cv-01619, 1:19-cv-01620), Fry’s Electronics (2:19-cv-00297), Juniper Systems (1:19-cv-00101), and ROKit (2:19-cv-07569) of infringing up to three wireless communications patents through the provision and/or sale of various devices that use Bluetooth 4.0 technology, including various smartphones, speakers, tablets, and wireless earphones. The retailers, Best Buy and Fry’s, are accused of infringement through the sale of such products made by Amazon, ASUSTek, BLU Products, Caterpillar, CellAllure, DigiLand, Ematic, Lenovo, RugGear, and Visual Land, among others, with Best Buy’s GreatCall tagged over the provision of the Jitterbug Smart2 and Jitterbug Flip “senior cell phones”; Juniper Systems, over its “rugged” mobile devices (i.e., the CT7G, Allegro 3, and Archer 3); and ROKit, over its iO Pro 3D, 3D, Light, and One smartphones.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) saw a decline in petitions for AIA review filed against NPES in April 2017. While the total number of April petitions, 120, was somewhat less than the three-year monthly average of 150, NPEs were hit by 20 petitions in April, a 68.8 percent decline from 64 the previous month. The dip in April PTAB filings comes in the midst of an overall increase in PTAB petitions over the previous year, with the total number of petitions filed so far in fiscal year 2017 nearing 1,200 as of the date of this report (compared to just over 930 petitions during the same period last year). Prolific private litigants remain a regular target for PTAB petitions, with petitions filed in April against IP Edge LLC and Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited, while Acacia Research Corporation was the only publicly traded NPE named in petitions brought during that month.

Autoloxer LLC has brought the number of defendants in its only litigation campaign over ten with two new complaints, one each against GM (Onstar) (2:16-cv-00935) and Tyco (2:16-cv-00936). A single patent (7,084,735) generally related to the remote imposition of limits on the operation of a vehicle is asserted in Autoloxer’s campaign, with the accused products in the new complaints being GM’s Onstar system and Tyco’s MAGTEC system. The other active defendants in the campaign are Yanmar and Manitou, each of which has filed an answer to the complaint filed against it.

Somaltus LLC has resuscitated its battery service system campaign with new suits against Apple (2:16-cv-00758), ASUS (2:16-cv-00758), Lenovo (2:16-cv-00758), Samsung (2:16-cv-00758), Sony (2:16-cv-00758), and Toshiba (2:16-cv-00758). The complaints assert a single patent (7,657,386) generally related to determining and optimizing the life of a battery and relaying test data to a user. Earlier cases in the campaign targeted automakers (asserting the ‘386 patent against Ford, Nissan) and battery service system providers (asserting a related patent, 8,131,487, against Auto Meter Products, Bosch Automotive Service Solutions, Cadex Electronics), while infringement allegations in the new complaints focus on the battery operations within the defendants’ smartphones and other portable computing products.

Texas NPE Peppermint Hills LLC has asserted a single patent (8,131,217) generally related to identifying a device via Bluetooth against Adidas, AliphCom, Garmin, Nike, Pebble Technology, Sigma Sport, Timex, TomTom, and Under Armour. The defendants are accused of infringement through provision of smartwatches and other wearable computing devices. Peppermint’s complaints mark the third time an NPE has asserted a former TeliBrahma Technologies patent acquired from Allied Security Trust (as Cactus Flower) on the same day in 2015.

On the heels of three dismissals, Autoloxer LLC has kept is sole litigation campaign going with five new cases, one each against vehicle manufacturers Atlas Copco (2:16-cv-00139), Liebherr Cranes (2:16-cv-00140), Manitou (2:16-cv-00141), Sandvik (2:16-cv-00142), and Yanmar (2:16-cv-00143). The complaints assert a single patent (7,084,735) generally related to the remote imposition of limits on the operation of a vehicle. Autoloxer’s infringement allegations target the defendants’ remote control systems for its vehicles: Atlas Copco Rig Control System, Leibherr’s LICCON2, Manitou’s Radio Remote Boom Control System, Sandvik’s DTi series, and Yanmar’s Smart Assist.

Autoloxer LLC has added Clark Equipment dba Bobcat (2:15-cv-01629), Caterpillar (2:15-cv-01628), and Deere & Company (2:15-cv-01630) to its only litigation campaign. The campaign began about a year ago when Autoloxer sued Ford (2:14-cv-00931). The complaints assert a single patent (7,084,735) generally related to the remote imposition of limits on the operation of a vehicle. Autoloxer focuses infringement allegations on the defendants’ remote control systems for its vehicles: Bobcat Radio Remote Control, Caterpillar Command Technology, John Deere Machine Sync, and Ford’s MyKey system. Ford has moved to transfer the case against it to the Eastern District of Michigan.