Fresenius Medical Care Holding Inc. v. Baxter International, Inc.

224 F.R.D. 644, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24245, 2004 WL 2634410
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedFebruary 5, 2004
DocketNo. C-03-1431 SBA EDL
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 224 F.R.D. 644 (Fresenius Medical Care Holding Inc. v. Baxter International, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fresenius Medical Care Holding Inc. v. Baxter International, Inc., 224 F.R.D. 644, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24245, 2004 WL 2634410 (N.D. Cal. 2004).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO COMPEL DISCOVERY

LAPORTE, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION AND FACTUAL BACKGROUND

This is a patent infringement suit between competitors, Fresenius Medical Care Holding, Inc, and Fresenius USA, Inc. (collectively “Fresenius”) and Baxter International, Inc. and Baxter Healthcare Corporation (collectively “Baxter.”) The patents in suit relate to kidney dialysis machines, specifically hemiodialysis machines and their various features.1 Fresenius’ Motion to Compel Discovery is presently before the Court. The Court held a hearing on January 27, 2004 and the parties appeared through their respective counsel of record. Good cause appearing, Fresenius’ Motion to Compel Discovery is granted as follows.

II. DISCUSSION

On September 3, 2003, Fresenius served its First Set of Interrogatories (Nos. 1-7) and its First Set of Document Requests (1-90) on Baxter. (Bright Decl. Exhs. A, B.). Baxter served responses on October 3, 2003. (Bright Decl. Exhs. C, D.) The parties agreed to a meet and confer session to take place on October 14, 2003. (Bright Decl. Exh. E.) The parties attempted to resolve their differences, but were unsuccessful. Baxter provided supplemental responses and second supplemental responses to interrogatories, but Fresenius maintains that the responses remain inadequate. Fresenius seeks to compel additional responses to all seven Interrogatories and seventy-eight of the ninety Document Requests (Nos. 2-4, 6-21, 23-24, 26-34, 36-41, 43-50, 52, 54-60, 62-64, 66-82, and 94-90.)

A. Dates of Conception and Reduction to Practice (Interrogatory No. 1, Document Request Nos. 4 and 14)

Interrogatory No. 1 seeks the dates of conception and actual reduction to practice of each asserted patent claim, as well as all documents and persons that can corroborate the asserted dates. Document Request No. 4 seeks all documents relating to conception and reduction to practice, including laboratory notebooks and invention disclosure statements. Document Request No. 14 seeks all documents that relate to materials or equipment used for the first reduction to practice of the subject matter of each of the patents in suit. (Bright Decl. Exh. B.)

Baxter responded to the interrogatory by providing a list of documents from which the answers could be obtained. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provide a process for the designation of documents in response to interrogatories as follows:

Where the answer to an interrogatory may be derived or ascertained from the business records of the party upon whom the interrogatory has been served ... and the burden of deriving or ascertaining the answer is substantially the same for the party serving the interrogatory as for the party served, it is a sufficient answer to such interrogatory to specify the records from which the answer may be derived or [650]*650ascertained.... A specification shall be in sufficient detail to permit the interrogating party to locate and to identify, as readily as can the party served, the records from which the answer may be ascertained.

F.R.Civ.P. 33(d). In order for a party to take advantage of the alternative procedure set forth in Rule 33(d) the burden of deriving or ascertaining the answer must be substantially the same for the party serving the interrogatory as for the party served and the party responding must specify in sufficient detail where the answers can be found. Rainbow Pioneer No. 44-18-04A v. Hawaii-Nevada Inv. Corp., 711 F.2d 902, (9th Cir. 1983); O’Connor v. Boeing North American, Inc., 185 F.R.D. 272, 277 (C.D.Cal.1999).

Baxter claims that it is premature for Fresenius to seek dates for conception and reduction to practice. The Patent Local Rules, however, obligated Baxter to identify all conception and reduction documents by October 9, 2003. Thus, the discovery sought is timely. Additionally, Fresenius asserts that the Rule 33(d) procedures are not available to Baxter because the burden is higher for it than it would be for Baxter because Baxter has access to the inventors and can interview them at will.

Fresenius claims good cause to believe that Baxter’s production of documents in response to Request Nos. 4 and 14 is incomplete. Fresenius cites to software code identified by inventor Mr. Grogan at his deposition, but not yet produced as proof that production is incomplete. Baxter responds that this source code was archived and had to be converted to a usable medium prior to review. Baxter further claims that it only received the source code on December 2, 2003 and, as of December 9, 2003, is currently reviewing the code for production. (Carroll Decl. ¶ 11). This however, does not explain why the source code was not located earlier and does not answer the question of whether additional documents have been identified, but not produced.2

'Accordingly, Fresenius’ Motion to Compel Discovery is granted as to Interrogatory No. 1 and Baxter is Ordered to fully respond to Interrogatory No. 1 without reference to Rule 33(d). Baxter is further Ordered to produce a declaration under penalty of perjury setting forth the specific efforts it has made to locate documents responsive to Document Request Nos. 4 and 14 and either a certification that all documents identified by Baxter have been produced, or an explanation of why the documents have not yet been produced.

B. Inventor Contact Information (Interrogatory No. 2)

Interrogatory No. 2 seeks contact information for each co-inventor. Baxter claims that the information was obtained by its attorneys and is, therefore, protected by the work product doctrine. Baxter, however, agrees it will produce the information if Fresenius agrees that such production will not constitute any waiver of the work product immunity. Fresenius agrees that it will not assert production of inventor contact information constitute a waiver of work product. As there is no dispute between the parties, the court will not devote any further time to this topic. Fresenius’ Motion to Compel Discovery is Granted as to Interrogatory No. 2. Fresenius is Ordered not to assert that this response constitutes a waiver of the work product immunity.

C. Marking with the Patents in Suit (Interrogatory No. 5 and Document Request No. 39)

Interrogatory No. 5 seeks information regarding the dates that Baxter began marking its products (or those of its predecessor, Althin), any products sold without marking, and all documents showing either the marking of or failure to mark products. Document Request No. 39 seeks all packaging materials or other documents reflecting the marking of any machine that allegedly embodies the subject matter claimed in the patents-in-suit. Baxter responds that it has provided all the information that it has and will provide additional information as it be[651]*651comes available. Baxter, however, has.only-responded with a range of dates, and only as to three of the five patents in suit. Fresenius requests that the court require either a definite answer or certification from Baxter that the information does not exist.

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224 F.R.D. 644, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24245, 2004 WL 2634410, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fresenius-medical-care-holding-inc-v-baxter-international-inc-cand-2004.