DDB Technologies, L.L.C. v. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC

936 F. Supp. 2d 806, 2013 WL 1313764, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47058
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedMarch 28, 2013
DocketCause No. A-11-CV-1014-LY
StatusPublished

This text of 936 F. Supp. 2d 806 (DDB Technologies, L.L.C. v. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
DDB Technologies, L.L.C. v. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC, 936 F. Supp. 2d 806, 2013 WL 1313764, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47058 (W.D. Tex. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER ON MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND CLAIM CONSTRUCTION

LEE YEAKEL, District Judge.

Before the court are the issue of claim construction and Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment of Invalidity for Indefiniteness filed July 9, 2012 (Doc. # 38); DDB Technologies, L.L.C.’s Opposition to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment of Indefiniteness filed July 20, 2012 (Doc. #45); and. Defendants’ Reply Brief in Further Support of their Motion for. Summary Judgment of Invalidity for Indefiniteness filed August 3, 2012 (Doc. # 46). The court conducted a hearing on the summary-judgment motion and.claims-construction on August 17, 2012. See Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 52 F.3d 967, 976 (Fed.Cir.1995) (en banc), aff'd, 517 U.S. 370, 116 S.Ct. 1384, 134 L.Ed.2d 577 (1996).

I. Introduction

Plaintiff DDB Technologies, L.L.C. (“DDB”) asserts claims against Defendants Fox Sport Interactive Media, LLC; Stat Crew Software, Inc.; and CSTV Networks, Inc. d/b/a CBS Sports Network and CSTV Online, Inc. for infringement of four related patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 5,526,-479 (the '479 Patent); 5,671,347 (the '347 Patent); 6,204,862 (the '862 Patent); and 7,373,587 (the '587 Patent). All four patents claim priority to the same 07/920,355 application, which later issued as the '479 Patent and was filed on July 29, 1992. The patents all claim methods for transmitting information for use in a computer simulation of a live event. The specification of each patent states that its method can be used to simulate “a sporting event such as a baseball game” or “such events as the activities involving a stock market, ah election, an auction and any other event where a finite set of possible action types can be defined prior to the beginning of the event.”

The parties dispute the construction of ten claim terms. In addition, Defendants have filed a summary-judgment motion asserting indefiniteness, to which DDB has [810]*810responded, and Defendants have replied. See 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 2, 6 (2001).

II. Analysis

A. Summary-Judgment Standard

With regard to procedural issues not unique to patent law, the law of the regional circuit controls. Lamle v. Mattel, Inc., 394 F.3d 1355, 1358 (Fed.Cir.2005). This includes summary-judgment motions filed pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c). Air Turbine Tech., Inc. v. Atlas Copco AB, 410 F.3d 701, 707 (Fed.Cir.2005). In this case, Fifth Circuit law controls.

Summary judgment should be granted if the record, taken as a whole, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(a); Warfield v. Byron, 436 F.3d 551, 557 (5th Cir.2006); New York Life Ins. Co. v. Travelers Ins. Co., 92 F.3d 336, 338 (5th Cir.1996); see also M. Eagles Tool Warehouse, Inc. v. Fisher Tooling Co., 439 F.3d 1335, 1339 (Fed.Cir.2006). The United States Supreme Court has interpreted the plain language of Rule 56(c) to require the entry of summary judgment against a party “who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). A party moving for summary judgment “must ‘demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact,’ but need not negate the elements of the nonmovant’s case.” Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir.1994) (en banc) (quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548). If the moving party “fails to meet this initial burden, the motion must be denied, regardless of the nonmovant’s response.” Id. at 1075.

If the moving party meets this burden, Rule 56(c) requires the nonmovant to go beyond the pleadings and show by affidavits, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions on file, or other admissible evidence that specific facts exist creating a genuine issue for trial. See Wallace v. Texas Tech Univ., 80 F.3d 1042, 1047 (5th Cir.1996). The nonmovant’s burden may not be satisfied by “conclusory allegations, unsubstantiated assertions, or only a scintilla of evidence.” Warfield, 436 F.3d at 557; see also Little, 37 F.3d at 1075. Factual controversies are to be resolved in favor of the nonmovant, “but only when there is an actual controversy, that is, when both parties have submitted evidence of contradictory facts.” Little, 37 F.3d at 1075. The court will not, “in the absence of any proof, assume that the nonmoving party could or would prove the necessary facts.” Id.

In order to determine whether summary judgment should be granted, an examination of the substantive law is essential. Substantive law will identify which facts are material, since “[ojnly disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249-51, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

B. Law on Indefiniteness

Indefiniteness is an issue of validity. A determination of indefiniteness with regard to patent claims is also a question of law for the court. See Atmel Corp. v. Info. Storage Devices, Inc., 198 F.3d 1374, 1378 (Fed.Cir.1999). In fact, the legal determination of indefiniteness is “drawn from the court’s performance of its duty as the construer of patent claims.” Personalized Media Communications, LLC v. International Trade Comm’n, 161 [811]*811F.3d 696, 705 (Fed.Cir.1998). Should claim language be determined indefinite, the claim itself is invalid. 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 2 (Section 112, ¶ 2); Honeywell Int’l Inc. v. International Trade Comm’n, 341 F.3d 1332, 1338 (Fed.Cir.2003) (citing Exxon Research & Eng’g v. United States, 265 F.3d 1371, 1375 (Fed.Cir.2001)). - .

Defendants have the burden of establishing indefiniteness by clear and convincing evidence. Enzo Biochem, Inc. v. Applera Corp.,

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936 F. Supp. 2d 806, 2013 WL 1313764, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47058, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ddb-technologies-llc-v-fox-sports-interactive-media-llc-txwd-2013.