Brandywine Communications Technologies, LLC v. T-Mobile USA, Inc.

904 F. Supp. 2d 1260, 2012 WL 5266049, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152644
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedOctober 24, 2012
DocketCase No. 6:12-cv-272-Orl-36DAB
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 904 F. Supp. 2d 1260 (Brandywine Communications Technologies, LLC v. T-Mobile USA, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brandywine Communications Technologies, LLC v. T-Mobile USA, Inc., 904 F. Supp. 2d 1260, 2012 WL 5266049, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152644 (M.D. Fla. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

CHARLENE EDWARDS HONEYWELL, District Judge.

This cause comes before the Court upon Defendant T-Mobile U.S.A., Inc.’s (“T-Mobile” or “Defendant”) Motion to Dismiss Claims of Induced, Contributory, Willful, and Joint Infringement (“Motion to Dismiss”) (Doc. 17). Plaintiff Brandy-wine Communications Technologies, LLC (“Brandywine” or “Plaintiff’) filed a Memorandum in Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss (“Response”) (Doc. 21), to which T-Mobile replied (Doc. 25). The Motion to Dismiss is ripe for review. For the reasons that follow, Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss will be granted.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Facts1

Brandywine filed its Complaint in this action on February 21, 2012, alleging that T-Mobile infringes upon U.S. Patent Numbers 5,719,922 (“'922 Patent”) and 6,236,-717 (“'717 Patent”) in violation of 35 U.S.C. § 271(a), (b), and (c) (Doc. 1). Brandywine is a patent holding limited liability company with its principal place of business in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Id. ¶ 2. Defendant is a Delaware corporation whose principal place of business is in Bellevue, Washington. Id. ¶ 3.

i. Alleged Infringement of the '922 Patent

On February 17, 1998, the '922 Patent, entitled “Simultaneous Voice/Data Answering Machine,” was legally issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) to Gordon Bremer and Richard Kent Smith (collectively “the '922 Inventors”). The '922 Patent has subsequently been assigned to Plaintiff. Id. ¶ 9. T-Mobile has had actual knowledge of the '922 Patent, and its alleged infringement of that patent, since at least September 29, 2011, when T-Mobile was served with Plaintiffs original complaint in Brandywine Communications Technologies, LLC v. Apple, Inc., et. al, Case 6:11-cv-1512-36DAB (M.D.Fla.2011) (the “Original Action”). Id. ¶ 10. T-Mobile also had knowledge since December 13, 2011, when Plaintiff sent a letter providing notice of T-Mobile’s alleged infringement of the '922 Patent. Id.

Plaintiff alleges that T-Mobile has and continues to directly and indirectly infringe on one or more claims of the '922 Patent “by making, using, selling and offering for sale, services and products that infringe and/or perform processes that infringe one or more claims of the '922 Patent.” Id. ¶ 11. The T-Mobile products that Plaintiff accuses of infringing the '922 Patent include handsets such as the [1263]*1263Comet, G2x, Sidekick 4G, and the HTC Wildfire S (collectively “the '922 Accused Products”). Id. ¶12.2 Also, Brandywine alleges that T-Mobile has committed joint infringement of the '922 Patent, because T-Mobile and its handset makers, including HTC America, Inc. have, acting jointly, infringed and continue to infringe on at least claim 7 of the '922 Patent. Id. ¶ 14. Plaintiff alleges that T-Mobile’s continued infringement despite its knowledge of the '922 Patent and Plaintiffs accusations of infringement has been objectively reckless and willful. Id. ¶ 14.

Plaintiff further alleges that since at least September 29, 2011, T-Mobile has committed and continues to commit acts of contributory infringement of at least claims 1 and 7 of the '922 Patent in violation of 35 U.S.C. § 271(c), because T-Mobile has made, used, sold, offered to sell, and/or imported, or continues to make, use, sell, offer to sell services and products including the '922 Accused Products. Id. ¶¶ 15-16. Plaintiff argues that the '922 Accused Products have no substantial non-infringing uses, and are especially adapted to work in a system or carry out a method claimed in the '922 Patent. Id. ¶¶ 15-16. T-Mobile provides such products to its customers, whose use of such products constitutes direct infringement of at least claim 1 of the '922 Patent. Id. ¶ 15. T-Mobile also provides such services and products to its handset makers, including, but not limited to HTC America, Inc., and its handset makers’ customers, whose use constitutes direct infringement of at least claim 7 of the '922 Patent. Id. ¶ 16.

Additionally, Plaintiff alleges that T-Mobile has induced and continues to induce others to infringe at least claims 1 and 7 of the '922 Patent under 35 U.S.C. § 271(b), by: “actively and knowingly aiding and abetting others to infringe, including, but not limited to consumers whose use of such services and products constitutes direct infringement of claim 1 of the '922 Patent”, and “its handset makers, such as HTC America, Inc., whose use of such services constitutes direct infringement of claim 7 of the '922 Patent.” Id. ¶¶ 17, 18. T-Mobile’s alleged aiding and abetting includes advertising, instructing, and/or supporting the consumers’ directly infringing use, and marketing and promoting the sale of T-Mobile Accused Services and Products by others, such as HTC America, Inc. Id.

Brandywine alleges it has and continues to suffer damages due to T-Mobile’s infringement, contributory infringement, and inducement of infringement of the '922 Patent. Id. ¶ 19.

ii. Alleged Infringement of the '717 Patent

On May 22, 2001, the '717 Patent, entitled “Simultaneous Voice/Data Answering Machine,” was legally issued by the USP-TO to Gordon Bremer and Richard Kent Smith (collectively “the '717 Inventors”), and has subsequently been assigned to Plaintiff. Id. ¶ 21. T-Mobile has had actual knowledge of the '717 Patent, and its alleged infringement of that patent, since at least September 29, 2011, when T-Mobile was served with Plaintiffs complaint in the Original Action. Id. ¶ 22. Also, T-Mobile has had knowledge since December 13, 2011, when Plaintiff sent a letter providing notice of T-Mobile’s infringement of the '717 Patent. Id. Plaintiff alleges that T-Mobile has and continues to directly and indirectly infringe on one or more claims of the '717 Patent by making, using, sell[1264]*1264ing and offering for sale, services and products that infringe and/or perform processes that infringe one or more claims of the '717 Patent. Id. ¶ 23. Plaintiff accuses the '922 Accused Products of also infringing upon the '717 Patent. Id. ¶ 24.

Brandywine alleges that T-Mobile has committed joint infringement of the '717 Patent, because T-Mobile and its handset makers, including HTC America, Inc., have, acting jointly, infringed and continue to infringe on at least claim 15 of the '717 Patent. Id. ¶ 25. Plaintiff alleges that T-Mobile’s continued infringement despite its knowledge of the '717 Patent and Plaintiffs accusations of infringement have been objectively reckless and willful. Id. ¶ 26.

Plaintiff further alleges that since at least September 29, 2011, T-Mobile has committed and continues to commit acts of contributory infringement of at least claims 1 and 15 of the '717 Patent in violation of 35 U.S.C. § 271(c), because T-Mobile has made, used, sold, offered to sell, and/or imported, or continues to make, use, sell, offer to sell services and products including the '717 Accused Products.

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904 F. Supp. 2d 1260, 2012 WL 5266049, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152644, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brandywine-communications-technologies-llc-v-t-mobile-usa-inc-flmd-2012.