Hewlett-Packard v. Papst

967 F. Supp. 2d 63, 2013 WL 5530525, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145085
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedOctober 8, 2013
DocketMisc. Action No. 07-493 (RMC); MDL No. 1880
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 967 F. Supp. 2d 63 (Hewlett-Packard v. Papst) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hewlett-Packard v. Papst, 967 F. Supp. 2d 63, 2013 WL 5530525, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145085 (D.D.C. 2013).

Opinion

[64]*64MEMORANDUM OPINION RE: HEWLETT-PACKARD’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

ROSEMARY M. COLLYER, United States District Judge

Papst Licensing GmbH & Co. KG, a German company, sues multiple manufacturers of digital cameras for alleged infringement of two patents owned by Papst: U.S. Patent Number 6,470,399 (399 Patent) and U.S. Patent Number 6,895,449 (449 Patent). Generally, Papst contends that [65]*65digital cameras are “interface devices” that infringe the Patents.

Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), one of the Camera Manufacturers who is a party to a First Wave Case in this Multi District Litigation,2 moves for summary judgment of noninfringement because, among other reasons, the Court already struck all of Papst’s infringement contentions against products manufactured by HP. The motion for summary judgment will be granted.

I. FACTS3

A. The Invention

The invention at issue is a “Flexible Interface for Communication Between a Host and an Analog I/O Device Connected to the Interface Regardless of the Type of the I/O Device.” 399 Patent, Title; 449 Patent, Title. Michael Tasler invented and patented the “interface device” and later sold the Patents to Papst. The invention was never produced or used.

The “interface device” is designed to provide data transfer between a data transmit/receive device and a computer without the need for special software; this is accomplished by telling the computer that the interface device is a transmit/receive device already known to the computer (and for which the computer already has drivers, i.e., software), regardless of what kind of data transmit/receive device actually is attached to the interface device. 399 Patent, Abstract; 449 Patent, Abstract; see also 399 Patent 5:67 & 6:1-22; 449 Patent 4:66-67 & 5:1-22.4

The interface device according to the present invention therefore simulates, both in terms of hardware and software, the way in which a conventional input/output device functions, preferably that of a hard disk drive. As support for hard disks is implemented as standard in all commercially available host systems, the simulation of a hard disk, for example, can provide host device-independent use. The interface device according to the present invention therefore no longer communicates with the host device or computer by means of a specially designed driver but by means of a program which is present in the BIOS system (Basic Input/Output System) and is normally precisely matched to the specific computer system on which it is installed, or by means of a [66]*66specific program for the multi-purpose interface.

399 Patent 5:5-20; 449 Patent 4:9-24 (same). By directing the computer to communicate using customary software already in the computer, the interface device fulfills its purpose — to provide “communication between a host device and a data transmit/receive device whose use is host device-independent and which delivers a high data transfer rate.” 399 Patent 3:24-27; 449 Patent 3:20-23 (same). In other words, the invention seeks to capitalize on software customarily found in a computer to allow communication with various data transmit/receive devices.

The 449 Patent is a continuation or divisional patent that is quite similar to the 399 Patent. The Patents share the same block diagram drawings, Figures 1 and 2. See, e.g., 399 Patent 9:15-16 (“Figure 2 shows a detailed block diagram of an interface device, according to the present invention”); 449 Patent 8:15-16 (same). The 399 and 449 Patents also share much of the same specification. Even so, the 449 Patent covers other aspects of the invention; for example, the 449 Patent omits references to analog-to-digital data conversion. Compare 399 Patent 12:54-60 with 449 Patent 11:57-58.

Pursuant to Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 517 U.S. 370, 116 S.Ct. 1384, 134 L.Ed.2d 577 (1996), the Court construed the contested claims of the 399 and 449 Patents.5 See Claims Constr. Op. [Dkt. 336]; Order [Dkt. 337]. As relevant here, the Court interpreted the “second connecting device” limitation in the 399 Patent to mean “a physical plug or socket for permitting a user readily to attach and detach the interface device with a plurality of dissimilar data transmit/receive devices, including a sampling circuit for sampling the analog data provided by the data transmit/receive device and an analog-to-digital converter for converting data sampled by the sampling circuit into digital data.” Claims Constr. Op. [Dkt. 336] at 38-40. In the 449 Patent, the Court held that “second connecting device” means “a physical plug or socket for permitting a user readily to attach and detach the interface device with a plurality of dissimilar data transmit/receive devices.” Id.

B. HP and the HP Accused Cameras

In its Final Infringement Contentions, Papst accused the First and Second Wave Camera Manufacturers of infringement. See generally Final Infringement Contentions [Dkt. 416] (FICs).6 The Final Infringement Contentions specify the products that are accused of infringement by manufacturer and model number. See FICs (Tables) (listing all of the Accused Products). The Accused Products include 59 point-and-shoot digital cameras that were manufactured by HP, the “HP Accused Cameras.”

HP exited the digital camera business in 2007. HP Mot. for Summ. J. (HP MSJ) [Dkt. 454], Ex. 48 (Mewes Deck). When it was in that business, it manufactured and sold basic point-and-shoot digital cameras with limited functionality. Id. Papst agrees that the HP Accused Cameras do [67]*67not have the features many of the other Accused Products have, such the ability to attacb/detach external devices like flash units and lenses. Papst Opp’n [Dkt. 470] at 6-7.

C. Procedural History

Pursuant to the Court’s ruling on claims construction, Papst and HP agreed that all the HP Accused Cameras did not infringe the Patents and asked the Court to enter final judgment and to certify an immediate appeal. See Papst and HP Joint Mot. for J. [Dkt. 346]. The Court denied their request for certification for appeal under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b) because of its prejudice to the other Camera Manufacturers. See July 30, 2010 Minute Order; Op. on HP Mot. to Strike [Dkt. 426] at 3-4. This MDL has now reached the point where the First Wave Camera Manufacturers have filed motions for summary judgment, and the Court has ruled on most of them.

HP moves for summary judgment7 of noninfringement of the 399 and 449 Patents on the grounds that (1) the Court already struck all of Papst’s infringement contentions against the HP Accused Cameras; and (2) prior summary judgment rulings in the First Wave Cases, in combination, have determined that all Accused Products made by First Wave Camera Manufacturers (including HP) are noninfringing.8 See HP MSJ [454]; HP Reply [506]. Papst opposes. See Papst Opp’n [Dkt. 470],

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Related

Papst Licensing Gmbh & Co. KG v. Fujifilm Corp.
778 F.3d 1255 (Federal Circuit, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
967 F. Supp. 2d 63, 2013 WL 5530525, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145085, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hewlett-packard-v-papst-dcd-2013.