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.

Somaltus LLC has added a case against Energizer Holdings (4:17-cv-02440) to cases filed earlier this summer against Maxim Integrated Products, Tenergy, and Universal Power Group in its battery service system campaign. Before the US Supreme Court’s TC Heartland decision in May, Somaltus, as is typical of an IP Edge LLC affiliate, had focused its litigation in the Eastern District of Texas, but since that decision, the NPE has been forced to litigate elsewhere; with the new suit, Somaltus now has active cases in Delaware, Missouri, Ohio, and Texas. Energizer is accused of infringement through provision of its Recharge Universal Charger. Battery charging devices have been at issue throughout this campaign, which began in February 2015, although earlier waves in the campaign targeted automakers and the battery operations within smartphones and other portable computing products.

Four days after the US Supreme Court issued its TC Heartland decision, returning to its previous, narrower interpretation of where proper venue lies in patent cases, an affiliate of Texas-based monetization firm IP Edge LLC has taken the rare step of filing litigation outside the Eastern District of Texas. Venadium LLC has asserted the sole patent at issue in its campaign (6,330,549) in Northern District of Illinois complaints against three companies allegedly formed in that state—Paylocity (1:17-cv-04002), State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance (1:17-cv-04004), and W.W. Grainger (1:17-cv-03999)—as well as against two Delaware companies—Allstate Insurance (1:17-cv-03998) and Hyatt Hotels (1:17-cv-04001). Meanwhile, Somaltus LLC, another IP Edge affiliate, agreed to postpone a scheduling conference in an ongoing Eastern District of Texas case to allow that court to rule on a pending motion to dismiss filed by the Ohio defendant, The Noco Company, for lack of personal jurisdiction and improper venue. Late this past week, Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne granted the motion, transferring that case out of Texas to the Northern District of Ohio. Finally, last week two Southern District of New York judges asked IP Edge affiliate Kaldren LLC to submit letters explaining why venue is proper in cases that that the NPE brought earlier this month in that district.

RPX reported an assignment, recorded in the first half of July and executed on June 27, of two computer security patents (5,434,562; 6,212,635) from NovelPoint Security LLC, an entity created by the principals of patent monetization firm IP Edge LLC, to Vortex Pathway LLC, a Texas entity created on June 21, 2016. Two months later, Vortex Pathway has now filed eight new complaints, asserting the ‘635 patent against Addonics Technologies (2:16-cv-00961), Chunghwa Telecom (2:16-cv-00956), Fortinet (2:16-cv-00952), Gemalto (2:16-cv-00953), Giesecke & Devrient (2:16-cv-00950), Goldkey (2:16-cv-00957), HID Global (2:16-cv-00954), and Yubico (2:16-cv-00955). Infringement allegations center on the defendants’ FIPS 140-2 standard compliant token security products: Addonics’s Cipher USB Token, Chunghwa’s HiKey PKI Token, Fortinet’s FortiToken 300, Gemalto’s Smart Guardian FIPS Crypto Module, G&D’s StarSign Crypto USB Token, Goldkey’s Security Token, HID’s ActivClient, and Yubico’s YubiKey.

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.

Falkon Treasures LLC, a newly formed NPE based in Texas, has initiated a litigation campaign asserting a single patent (6,233,682) generally related to distributing musical products over the Internet. The entity accuses Adidas (2:16-cv-00653), Barnes & Noble (2:16-cv-00654), Burlington Coat Factory (2:16-cv-00655), GameStop (2:16-cv-00656), and Sun Capital Partners (Limited Stores) (2:16-cv-00657) of infringing the ‘682 patent through websites that offer online gift cards and distribute both electronic and tangible products. While these lawsuits are the first filed by Falkon Treasures, the ‘682 patent has also been involved in two previous litigation campaigns: one started by Batarga LLC in 2015 and another waged by Sharing Sound LLC beginning in 2010.

In the first half of June 2015, RPX saw 12 patent transfers to non-practicing entities recorded with the USPTO.

Somaltus LLC’s inaugural litigation campaign targets automotive companies Auto Meter Products (2:15-cv-00201), Bosch Automotive (2:15-cv-00202), Cadex Electronics (2:15-cv-00203), Ford (2:15-cv-00204), and Nissan (2:15-cv-00205). The five suits in the new campaign assert a single patent related to a battery system (7,657,386). At issue in the complaints is car battery testing and monitoring equipment sold by defendants. The patent-in-suit originated with Snap-On Equipment LTD, an operating company that sells automotive equipment and that transferred the asserted patent to TT IP in 2008. The complaint states that Somaltus now owns the patent-in-suit although there is no recorded assignment to the entity.