High Frequency Trading Systems LLC (HFTS) has filed four new cases in the campaign it began in late 2015, asserting a single patent (7,231,363) generally related to electronically managing the exchange of financial instruments. Knight Capital (KCG BondPoint) (2:16-cv-13082), Liquidnet (2:16-cv-13077), MarketAxess Holdings (2:16-cv-13052), and MTS Markets (2:16-cv-13084) are accused of infringement through provision of online trading platforms. HFTS’s new filings provide just one example of the recent activities of its manager, Erik Stamell.

Reflection Code LLC has filed another round of suits in its barcode technology campaign, adding nine separate complaints against Abbvie (Abbott Laboratories), Bunn-O-Matic, Char-Broil, Diversified Dynamics (d/b/a HomeRight), Edgecraft, Electrolux Home Care Products, Farouk Systems, First Act, and John Soules Foods. The complaints allege that through the use of two-dimensional barcode devices, such as quick response codes (QR codes), the companies directly infringe claims of one patent (8,733,657) and indirectly infringe claims of two others (7,963,446; 8,763,907). Filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, the new complaints represent a change of venue from the Eastern District of Texas, where the NPE’s earlier suits were filed.

On December 1, 2015, amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), approved by the US Supreme Court in April 2015, took effect. The amendments touch several aspects of litigation in federal court but primarily focus on earlier stages, including pleading requirements, initial case management, and the scope of discovery. The changes appear to have motivated a significant number of filings in the weeks before the effective date of the changes, as over 580 patent infringement cases, including nearly 500 NPE cases, were filed in the last two weeks of November.

Reflection Code LLC has filed a second wave of suits in its barcode technology campaign, its first and only litigation campaign to date. In seven separate complaints, the NPE accuses ACCO Brands (2:15-cv-01669), General Mills (2:15-cv-01664), Kellogg Company (2:15-cv-01662), Kohl’s (2:15-cv-01665), Land O’Lakes (2:15-cv-01668), Michaels Stores (2:15-cv-01663), and Nestle Purina Petcare (2:15-cv-01666) of infringing a group patents that generally concern reading and using barcodes (7,963,446; 8,733,657; 8,763,907). The complaints allege that through the use of two-dimensional barcode devices, such as quick response codes (QR codes), the companies directly infringe claims of the ‘657 patent and indirectly infringe claims of the ‘446 and ‘907 patents.

Newly formed NPE Reflection Code LLC initiated its only litigation campaign, asserting three related patents (7,963,446, 8,733,657, 8,763,907) that generally concern reading and using barcodes. The campaign targets nine defendants’ use of barcodes, accusing each of directly infringing claims of the ‘657 patent and indirectly infringing claims of the ‘446 and ‘907 patents. The defendants are Abbey Carpet (2:15-cv-1513), Chili’s (2:15-cv-1520), CVS (2:15-cv-1521), JC Penney (2:15-cv-1517), GEICO (2:15-cv-1514), Georgia-Pacific (2:15-cv-1515), Kohler (2:15-cv-1518), L’Oreal (2:15-cv-1519), and 1-800-Flowers.com (2:15-cv-1512).