Better Bags, Inc. v. Illinois Tool Works, Inc.

939 F. Supp. 2d 737, 2013 WL 1455759, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50729
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedApril 9, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. H-11-1516
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 939 F. Supp. 2d 737 (Better Bags, Inc. v. Illinois Tool Works, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Better Bags, Inc. v. Illinois Tool Works, Inc., 939 F. Supp. 2d 737, 2013 WL 1455759, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50729 (S.D. Tex. 2013).

Opinion

[739]*739 MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

SIM LAKE, District Judge.

This action was filed on March 20, 2011, by plaintiff/counter-defendant Better Bags, Inc. (“BBI”), against defendants/counter-plaintiffs Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (“ITW”), Fantapak International Corp. (“Fantapak”), and Inteplast Group, Ltd. (“Inteplast”) for declaratory judgment of non-infringement and invalidity of U.S. Patent No. 7,134,788, entitled “Resealable Bag •with Top Tear-Away Header and Zipper and Method of Manufacturing the Same” (“the '788 Patent”).1 Subsequently, defendants/counter-plaintiffs ITW and Fantapak filed counterclaims of patent infringement against BBI asserting that BBI infringes the '788 Patent’s Claims 1, 3, 6, 8, 9,10,11, 12, and 13.2 Pending before the court are Fantapak’s Motion for Sanctions (Docket Entry No. 58), Fantapak’s and Inteplast’s Motion to Strike Better Bags, Inc.’s Expert Invalidity Report, to Strike its Invalidity Contentions, and Exclude All Alleged Evidence and Testimony Based on Undisclosed Invalidity Contentions (Docket Entry No. 60), and Fantapak and Inteplast’s Motion for Summary Judgment of Patent Infringement with Incorporated Memorandum of Law (“Fantapak and Inteplast’s Motion for Summary Judgment”) (Docket Entry No. 61). For the reasons stated below, the motion for summary judgment will be granted, the motion to strike and exclude will be granted in part and denied in part, and the motion for sanctions will be denied without prejudice to being reurged at trial.

I. Background.

BBI filed this action on March 20, 2011, seeking declaratory judgment of non-infringement and invalidity of the '788 Patent. Defendants ITW and Fantapak filed counterclaims asserting that BBI infringes the '788 Patent’s Claims 1, 3, 6, 8, 9,10,11, 12, and 13. On October 15, 2012, Fantapak and Inteplast filed their motion for sanctions (Docket Entry No. 58), and their motion to strike BBI’s invalidity contentions and expert invalidity report, and to exclude all evidence and testimony based on undisclosed invalidity contentions (Docket Entry No. 60). On October 18, 2012, Fantapak and Inteplast filed their motion for summary judgment on their counterclaims for infringement of the '788 Patent (Docket Entry No. 61). ’ On October 19, 2012, the parties filed their Joint Motion to Stay the Scheduling Control Order (Doc. No. 20) (Docket Entry No. 62). On October 22, 2012, the court entered an Order Granting Joint Motion to Stay the Scheduling Control Order [Doc. No. 20] (Docket Entry No. 63) pursuant to which BBI was to file responsive briefs to the pending motions by November 8, 2012, Fantapak and Inteplast were to file reply briefs by November 19, 2012, the close of discovery was set for 90 days after the court issues orders on all the pending Fantapak and Inteplast motions, and the litigation was stayed pending the court’s disposition of all the Fantapak and Inteplast motions. Although on November 8, 2012, BBI timely filed responses to both the motion for sanctions (Docket Entry No. 64) and the motion to strike and exclude (Docket Entry No. 65), BBI has still not [740]*740responded to the motion for summary-judgment even .though more than five months have passed since October 18, 2012, when Fantapak and Inteplast filed their motion for summary judgment, and over four months have passed since November 8, 2012, the date by which BBI was to have responded to that motion.

II. Motion for Summary Judgment

Fantapak and Inteplast argue that they are entitled to summary judgment on their infringement claims because “BBI has- admitted that based on the plain and ordinary meaning of the claim terms, ‘the elements of the asserted claims are literally present in the bags being accused of infringement.’ ”3

A. Standard of Review

“Summary judgment is appropriate when there are no genuine issues of material fact and the moving, party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Syntex (U.S.A.) LLC v. Apotex, Inc., 407 F.3d 1371, 1377 (Fed.Cir.2005) (citing Fed.R.Civ.P.56(c); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509-2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)). “A genuine dispute is shown to exist if sufficient evidence is presented such that a reasonable fact finder could decide the question in favor of the non-moving party.” Opryland USA Inc. v. Great American Music Show, Inc., 970 F.2d 847, 850 (Fed.Cir.1992). “While the non-moving party is not required to present its entire case in response to a motion for summary judgment, to defeat the motion the non-movant must present sufficient evidence to show an evidentiary conflict as to the material fact in dispute ... with due consideration to the evidentiary burdens.” Id. “Summary judgment may properly be granted on questions of fact when no reasonable jury could reach a contrary verdict, even after drawing all reasonable factual inferences in favor of the non-movant.” Hoffer v. Microsoft Corp., 405 F.3d 1326, 1328 (Fed.Cir.2005), cert. denied, 546 U.S. 1131, 126 S.Ct. 1037, 163 L.Ed.2d 928 (2006).

On October 18, 2012, Fantapak and Inteplast filed the motion seeking summary judgment on their counterclaims for infringement of the '788 Patent (Docket Entry No. 61). BBI has not responded to the pending motion for summary judgment. Local Rule 7.3 provides that “[ojpposed motions will be submitted to the judge twenty-one days from filing without notice from the clerk and without appearance by counsel.” S.D.Tex.R. 7.3 (2000). Local Rule 7.4 provides:

Failure to respond will be taken as a representation of no opposition. Responses to motions
A. Must be filed by the submission day;
B. Must be written;
C. Must include or be accompanied by authority; and
D. Must be accompanied by a separate-form order denying the relief sought.

S.D.Tex.R. 7.4 (2000).

Although a district court may not grant summary judgment by default simply because there is no opposition to the motion, the court may accept as undisputed the movant’s version of the facts and grant a motion for summary judgment when the movant has made a prima facie showing of entitlement to summary judgment. See John v. State of Louisiana (Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities), 757 F.2d 698, 708 (5th Cir.1985) (when the movant’s evidence establishes its right to judgment as a matter of law, the district court is entitled to grant summary judgment absent unusual circumstances); and Eversley v. MBank Dallas, [741]

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939 F. Supp. 2d 737, 2013 WL 1455759, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50729, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/better-bags-inc-v-illinois-tool-works-inc-txsd-2013.