Fujifilm Corp. v. Motorola Mobility LLC

182 F. Supp. 3d 1014, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55021, 2016 WL 1622877
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedApril 25, 2016
DocketCase No. 12-cv-03587-WHO
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 182 F. Supp. 3d 1014 (Fujifilm Corp. v. Motorola Mobility LLC) 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
Fujifilm Corp. v. Motorola Mobility LLC, 182 F. Supp. 3d 1014, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55021, 2016 WL 1622877 (N.D. Cal. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S AND DEFENDANT’S MOTIONS FOR JUDGMENT AS MATTER OF LAW OR FOR A NEW TRIAL, AND ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO ALTER OR AMEND THE JUDGMENT

Re: Dkt. Nos. 361, 362, 363

WILLIAM H. ORRICK, United States District Judge

INTRODUCTION

In this lawsuit involving technology used in digital cameras and cellular telephones, [1019]*1019a jury found defendant Motorola Mobility LLC (“Motorola”) liable for infringement of plaintiff Fujifilm Corporation (“Fuji-film”)’s U.S. Patent No. 6,144,763 (the ’763 patent), which concerns monochrome conversion in digital photography, and awarded $10.24 million in damages after a two-week trial. The jury also considered Fuji-film’s claims of infringement of U.S. Patents Nos. 8,306,285 (the ’285 patent) and 7,327,886 (the ’886 patent), which concern human face detection in digital photography, and U.S. Patent No. 6,915,119 (the ’119 patent), which concerns wireless data transmission. The jury found that the ’285 and ’886 patents were invalid and not infringed, and that the ’119 patent was infringed but invalid. Each party now moves for judgment as a matter of law or for a new trial on virtually every issue on which the jury did not find in its favor. In addition, Fujifilm moves under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e) to alter or amend the judgment to provide for an award of prejudgment interest.

This Order upholds the jury verdict, except that Fujifilm is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the validity of the asserted claims of the ’285 and ’886 patents (the “face detection patents”) and on Motorola’s licensing defense concerning claims 1 and 35 of the ’119 patent. I also award prejudgment interest at the prime rate, compounded quarterly. Fujifilm’s motion for JMOL or for a new trial is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART, Motorola’s motion is DENIED, and Fujifilm’s motion to alter or amend the judgment is GRANTED.

BACKGROUND

Fujifilm filed its original complaint in this matter on July 10, 2012 and its first amended complaint on November 19, 2012. Dkt. Nos. 1, 16. The first amended complaint, the operative complaint in this case, asserts infringement by Motorola of Fuji-film’s ’763 patent, ’285 patent, ’886 patent, ’119 patent, and U.S. Patent No. 5,734,427 (the ’427 patent) (which concerns low-resolution displays in digital cameras). Dkt. No. 16.

On December 9, 2014, Motorola moved for summary judgment of noninfringement on each of the asserted claims, and also on the issue of willful infringement. Dkt. No. 153. I granted the motion with respect to the ’427 patent and denied the motion in all other respects. Dkt. No. 196 (“Summary Judgment Order”).

A jury trial was held from April 20 through May 1, 2015. At trial, Fujifilm asserted infringement of claims 1,2, 7, and 11 of the ’763 patent; claim 1 of the ’285 patent; claim 11 of the ’886 patent; and claims 1, 13, and 35 of the T19 patent.

At the close of Fujifilm’s case, Motorola moved for judgment as a matter of law on all claims of infringement, including willful infringement, and on damages. Dkt. No. 307. At the close of all evidence, Motorola renewed its request for judgment as a matter of law on infringement of the ’886 patent and on willful infringement, and also moved for judgment as a matter of law on the validity on each of the asserted claims. Dkt. No. 328. Fujifilm moved for judgment as a matter of law on all claims of infringement, including willful infringement, on the validity of each of the asserted claims, on the licensing of the asserted claims of the ’119 patent, and on damages. Trial Tr. at 1757:20-1759:04. I allowed all issues to pass to the jury. Id. at 1761:21-23.

The jury returned its verdict on May 4, 2015. Dkt. No. 337 (“Verdict”). It found that Motorola had infringed claims 1, 7, and 11 of the ’763 patent and claims 1, 13, and 35 of the ’119 patent, but that it had not infringed claim 2 of the ’763 patent, claim 1 of the ’285 patent, or claim 11 of the ’886 patent. Verdict at 3-4. It also found that claims 1, 2, 7, and 11 of the ’763 [1020]*1020patent were not invalid, but that claim 1 of the ’285 patent, claim 11 of the ’886 patent, and claim 13 of the ’119 patent were invalid as anticipated and obvious, and that claims 1 and 35 of the ’119 patent were invalid as obvious. Id. at 5. In addition, the jury found that the ’119 patent was not invalid for improper inventorship, and that Motorola was licensed under the Bluetooth Patent/Copyright License Agreement (“BPLA”) (Trial Ex. 901) as to claims 1 and 35 of the 119 patent, but not as to claim 13 of the 119 patent. Id. at 6. The jury awarded $10,24 million to Fujifilm for past and future damages for infringement of the ’763 patent. Id. at 8. I entered Final Judgment on August 6, 2015. Dkt. No. 357.

The parties filed their respective post-trial motions on September 3, 2015. I heard argument on December 9, 2015. Dkt. No. 379.

LEGAL STANDARD

The Federal Circuit “reviews decisions on motions for JMOL, motions for a new trial, and evidentiary rulings under the law of the regional circuit.” InTouch Techs., Inc. v. VGO Commc’ns, Inc., 751 F.3d 1327, 1338 (Fed.Cir.2014). In the Ninth Circuit, judgment as a matter of law is appropriate where “the evidence, construed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, permits only one reasonable conclusion, and that conclusion is contrary to that of the jury.” White v. Ford Motor Co., 312 F.3d 998, 1010 (9th Cir. 2002). This standard requires a court to uphold “any jury verdict supported by substantial evidence,” substantial evidence being “evidence that a reasonable mind would accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Callicrate v. Wadsworth Mfg., Inc., 427 F.3d 1361, 1366 (Fed.Cir.2005). Neither a “mere scintilla” of evidence, nor pure speculation, is enough to sustain a verdict against a motion for JMOL. Lakeside-Scott v. Multnomah Cty., 556 F.3d 797, 802-03 (9th Cir.2009).

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(a), a trial court “may grant a new trial, even though the verdict is supported by substantial evidence, if the verdict is contrary to the clear weight of the evidence, or is based upon evidence which is false, or to prevent, in the sound discretion of the trial court, a miscarriage of justice.” United States v. 4.0 Acres of Land, 175 F.3d 1133, 1139 (9th Cir.1999) (internal quotation marks omitted); accord Wordtech Sys., Inc v. Integrated Networks Sols., Inc., 609 F.3d 1308, 1313 (Fed.Cir.2010). In considering a motion for a new trial, a court, “has the duty to weigh the evidence as the court saw it, and to set aside the verdict of the jury, even though supported by substantial evidence, where, in the court’s conscientious opinion, the verdict is contrary to the clear weight of the evidence.” Molski v. M.J. Cable, Inc., 481 F.3d 724, 729 (9th Cir.2007) (internal quotation marks and alterations omitted).

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182 F. Supp. 3d 1014, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55021, 2016 WL 1622877, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fujifilm-corp-v-motorola-mobility-llc-cand-2016.