Delaware Intellectual Property Law Update
This update provides short updates on judicial decisions, trends, and notable events in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, traditionally one of the three busiest jurisdictions for intellectual property litigation.
Judge Andrews Denies Plaintiff’s Request to Enter Rule 54(b) Judgment
In Sound View Innovations, LLC v. Facebook, Inc., C.A. 16-116-RGA (D. Del. Jan. 17, 2017), Judge Andrews denied a motion for entry of final judgment under Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(b) filed by the plaintiff, Sound View Innovations, LLC (“Sound View”), after one of the seven patents-in-suit was invalidated for lack of patentable subject matter. Sound…
Judge Andrews Denies Motion to Exclude the Testimony of Damages Expert
In Delaware Display Group LLC v. Lenovo Holding Co., C.A. No. 13-2108-RGA (D. Del. Jan. 18, 2017), and related actions, Judge Andrews denied the various defendants’ motion to exclude the opinions of the damages expert for the plaintiffs, Delaware Display Group LLC and Innovative Display Technologies, LLC (together, “Delaware Display”), as unreliable. The defendants argued that…
Judge Sleet Grants Summary Judgment of Non-Infringement Following Claim Construction
In Quest Licensing Corp. v. Bloomberg LP, C.A. No. 14-561-GMS (D. Del. Jan. 19, 2017), a consolidated action, Judge Sleet granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment of non-infringement in light of the construction of the term “changing information.” All of the asserted claims required the receipt or provision of “changing information,” construed by the Court…
Judge Andrews Denies Defendants’ Motions for Fees
In Acceleration Bay LLC v. Activision Blizzard Inc., C.A. No. 15-228-RGA (D. Del. Jan. 10, 2017), Judge Andrews denied from the bench a motion for fees brought by a number of defendants in related actions after the Court dismissed the patent infringement actions filed by Acceleration Bay LLC (“Acceleration Bay”) for lack of standing. The defendants…
Judge Andrews Grants Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim but Permits Leave to Amend
In SIPCO, LLC v. Streetline, Inc., C.A. No. 16-830-RGA (D. Del. January 20, 2017), Judge Andrews granted a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim filed by the defendants, Streetline, Inc. and Kapsch TrafficCom Holding Corp. (together, “Streetline”). Streetline argued that the complaint, which alleged infringement of ten patents against the two defendants, failed…
Judge Robinson Grants Motion for Summary Judgment of Non-Infringement Based on Collateral Estoppel
In ArcelorMittal v. AK Steel Corp., C.A. No. 13-685-SLR (D. Del. January 19, 2017), Judge Robinson granted the motion for summary judgment of non-infringement filed by the defendant, AK Steel Corp. (“AK Steel”). In an earlier action between the parties, Judge Robinson had also granted summary judgment of non-infringement in AK Steel’s favor, and entered judgment…
Chief Judge Stark Construes Claim Terms and Denies Motion to Amend Pleading to Allege Inequitable Conduct
In Cornell University v. Illumina, Inc., C.A. No. 10-433-LPS-MPT (D. Del. January 10, 2017), Chief Judge Stark sustained the objections made by the plaintiffs, Cornell University, Cornell Research Foundation, Inc., Life Technologies Corp., and Applied Biosystems, LLC (collectively, “Cornell”), to certain of Chief Magistrate Judge Thynge’s claim constructions, as well as Cornell’s objections to the magistrate…
Magistrate Judge Burke Finds No Statutory Estoppel Based on IPR
In Princeton Digital Image Corp. v. Harmonix Music Systems Inc., C.A. No. 12-1461-LPS-CJB (D. Del. Jan. 19, 2017), Magistrate Judge Burke recommended that Princeton Digital Image Corp.’s (“Princeton”) motion to dismiss defendants Konami Digital Entertainment Inc., Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., and Electronic Arts, Inc.’s counterclaims for declaratory judgments of invalidity and noninfringement be granted in part…
Dieckman v. Regency GP LP: Delaware Supreme Court Invokes Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing to Reverse Court of Chancery’s Dismissal of Lawsuit Challenging MLP Conflict of Interest Transaction
In the latest in a series of decisions addressing conflict of interest transactions involving Delaware limited partnerships, the Delaware Supreme Court confirmed in Dieckman v. Regency GP LP, C.A. No. 11130 (Del. Jan. 20, 2017), that although Delaware courts will enforce clear, express and unambiguous language modifying or eliminating default fiduciary duties, a conflict of interest…