Flatworld Interactives LLC v. Samsung Electronics Co.

77 F. Supp. 3d 378, 2014 WL 7462907
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedDecember 31, 2014
DocketC.A. No. 12-804-LPS, C.A. No. 12-964-LPS
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 77 F. Supp. 3d 378 (Flatworld Interactives LLC v. Samsung Electronics Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Flatworld Interactives LLC v. Samsung Electronics Co., 77 F. Supp. 3d 378, 2014 WL 7462907 (D. Del. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

STARK, U.S. District Judge:

Pending before the Court are Defendants’ (1) Motion for Summary Judgment of Invalidity under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) (C.A. No. 12-804 D.I. 78; C.A. No. 12-964 D.I. 70); (2) Motion for Partial Summary Judgment Limiting Damages in the Case to Post-Complaint Activities (C.A. No. 12-804 D.I. 69; C.A. No. 12-964 D.I. 59); and (3) Motion to Strike Declaration of Eric J. Gould Bear in Opposition to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment of Invalidity (C.A. No. 12-804 D.I. 91; C.A. No. 12-964 D.I. 84)

For the reasons below, the Court will deny Defendants’ motion for summary judgment on invalidity and grant Defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment limiting damages. The Court will also grant the motion to strike the Declaration of Mr. Bear.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Interactives LLC (“Plaintiff’) filed these patent infringement actions on June 22, 2012 against defendants Samsung Electronics America Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Samsung Telecommunications America LLC (C.A. No. 12-804 D.I. 1), and on July 20, 2012 against defendants LG Electronics Inc., LG Electronics Mobilecomm Ü.S.A. Inc., and LG Electronics U.S.A. Inc. (collectively, “Defendants”) (C.A. No. 12-964 D.I. 1), alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. RE43,318 (“the '318 patent”). The '318 patent is entitled, “User interface for removing an object from a display” and relates to a system for manipulating images on a display using a touch-sensitive screen. In particular, the patent-in-suit discloses a system that removes an image from a screen display by the gesture of “throwing” it from the screen. The '318 patent is a reissue of U.S. Patent No. 6,920,619 (“the '619 patent”).

On October 21, 2013, Defendants filed their motion for summary judgment of invalidity under § 112(a), after having previously been granted leave to do so. (C.A. No. 12-804 D.I. 78; C.A. No. 12-964 D.I. [382]*38270) The parties completed briefing the motion for summary judgment on November 14, 2013. (D.I.79, 86, 94)1

On October 15, 2013, Defendants also jointly, filed a motion for partial summary judgment limiting damages in the case to post-complaint activities (C.A. No. 12-804 D.L 69; C.A. No. 12-964 D.I. 59), which the Court had authorized Defendants to do during a teleconference on October 4, 2013 (D.I. 77 (“Disc.Tr.”) at 15-16), The parties completed briefing the motion for summary judgment limiting damages on November 12, 2013. (D.I.70, 82, 89)

On November 15, 2013, the Court held a Markman hearing, at which the Court also heard argument by the parties on the pending motions. (D.I.101) (“Tr.”)2

II. LEGAL STANDARDS

A. Motion to Strike

In Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 597, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469 (1993), the Supreme Court explained that Federal Rule of Evidence 702 creates “a gatekeeping role for the [trial] judge” in order to “ensur[e] that an expert’s testimony both rests on a reliable foundation and is relevant to the task at hand.” Rule 702 requires that expert testimony “help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue.” Expert testimony is admissible only if “the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data,” “the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods,” and “the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.” There are three distinct requirements for proper expert testimony: (1) the expert must be qualified; (2) the opinion must be reliable; and (3) the expert’s opinion must relate to the facts. See Elcock v. Kmart Corp., 233 F.3d 734, 741 (3d Cir.2000).

B. Summary Judgment

“The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The moving party bears the burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 585-86, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). An assertion that a fact cannot be — or, alternatively, is— genuinely disputed must be supported either by citing to “particular parts of materials in the record, including depositions, documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations (including those made for purposes of the motion only), admissions, interrogatory answers, or other materials,” or by “showing that the materials cited do not establish the absence or presence of a genuine dispute, or that an adverse party cannot produce admissible evidence to support the fact.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(1)(A) & (B). If the moving party carries its burden, the nonmovant must then “come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348 (internal quotation marks omitted). The'Court will “draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving party, and it may not make credibility determinations or weigh the evidence.” Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Prods., Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 150, 120 S.Ct. 2097, 147 L.Ed.2d 105 (2000).

[383]*383To defeat a motion for summary judgment, the nonmoving party must “do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348; see also Podobnik v. U.S. Postal Serv., 409 F.3d 584, 594 (3d Cir.2005) (stating party opposing summary judgment “must present more than just bare assertions, conclusory allegations or suspicions to show the existence of a genuine issue”) (internal quotation marks omitted). However, the “mere existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion for summary judgment;” and a factual dispute is genuine only where “the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “If the evidence is merely colorable, or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted.” Id. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (internal citations omitted); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct.

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77 F. Supp. 3d 378, 2014 WL 7462907, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flatworld-interactives-llc-v-samsung-electronics-co-ded-2014.