Johnstech Int'l Corp. v. JF Microtechnology SDN BHD

315 F. Supp. 3d 1130
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedJune 8, 2018
DocketCase No. 3:14–cv–02864–JD
StatusPublished

This text of 315 F. Supp. 3d 1130 (Johnstech Int'l Corp. v. JF Microtechnology SDN BHD) 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
Johnstech Int'l Corp. v. JF Microtechnology SDN BHD, 315 F. Supp. 3d 1130 (N.D. Cal. 2018).

Opinion

JAMES DONATO, United States District Judge

In September 2016, a jury found that defendant JF Microtechnology SDN BHD ("JFM") had willfully infringed U.S. Patent No. 7,059,866 (the "'866 patent") held by plaintiff Johnstech International Corp. ("Johnstech"). Dkt. No. 242. The jury awarded $636,807 in lost profits. A motion for a permanent injunction and a motion for attorney's fees and enhanced damages are pending. Dkt. Nos. 287, 303.

JFM seeks to overturn the jury verdict under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50, and in the alternative requests a new trial under Rule 59. JFM's arguments are identical under both rules, and the requests are denied.

BACKGROUND

The events leading to trial were straightforward. Johnstech sued JFM for patent infringement in 2014 on the allegation that JFM's Zigma device infringes the '866 patent. Dkt. No. 1. The '866 patent describes a test contactor used to test integrated circuit devices. The test contactor is comprised of conductive "contacts" inside a "housing." The contacts are positioned between "leads" on the integrated circuit device to be tested, and "terminals or pads" on the "load board" of a testing machine. The integrated circuit is pressed against the test contactor, which deforms the elastomers holding the contacts and rotates the contacts so that they touch both the integrated circuit's leads and the testing machine's load board terminals. The '866 patent claims to improve the prior art by allowing the contact to press against the integrated circuit leads and the load board terminals with sufficient force while minimizing wear to the load board. See Johnstech Int'l Corp. v. JF Microtechnology Sdn Bhd , No. 14-CV-02864-JD, 2016 WL 631936, at *1 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 17, 2016) (" Claim Construction Order").

During claim construction, the Court found that the asserted claims included "means-plus-function" claims subject to 35 U.S. Code Section 112 Paragraph 6.1 Id. at *2. Among other terms, the Court construed the "means for biasing" term in claim 1 as having the function of "biasing the contact to the first orientation, wherein, as the contact is rolled between the first and second orientations, sliding motion *1134of the second end of the contact across the terminal is substantially eliminated" and the structure of "one or more elastomers..., a flat surface of the contact in engagement with the terminal pad..., and a tail end of the contact in engagement with a wall of the housing." Id. at *6-*8. The Court construed "substantially eliminated" as "approximately eliminated" and found that "engagement" required direct engagement between the contact and the housing wall. Id. at *8.

On JFM's motion for summary judgment, the Court concluded that Zigma does not literally infringe the '866 patent because Zigma's contact is not directly engaged with the housing wall. Johnstech Int'l Corp. v. JF Microtechnology SDN BHD , No. 14-CV-02864-JD, 2016 WL 4242220, at *2 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 11, 2016). In September 2016, the parties had a six-day trial on whether Zigma infringes the '866 patent under the doctrine of equivalents. See id. at *4. At the close of evidence, JFM moved for judgment as a matter of law under Rule 50(a) on infringement and Johnstech's calculation of damages. Tr. at 811-13;2 Fed. R. Civ. P. 50(a). The Court took JFM's motion under submission.

The jury returned a verdict for Johnstech on direct infringement, induced infringement, willful infringement, and validity, and awarded Johnstech $636,807 in lost profits. Dkt. No. 242. At the parties' request, post-trial motions and other proceedings were put on hold for almost a year as the parties discussed a settlement. Dkt. Nos. 246, 248, 264. While settlement discussions were ongoing, JFM substituted in new counsel. Dkt. No. 252. The settlement talks did not produce an agreement, and the parties began filing post-trial requests in June 2017. This order resolves JFM's motions for judgment as a matter of law or, in the alternative, a new trial, under Rule 50(b) and Rule 59(a). Dkt. No. 267. Johnstech has since filed a permanent injunction motion and a motion for fees and enhanced damages, which remain pending. Dkt. Nos. 287, 303. The Court will address those issues in separate proceedings.

DISCUSSION

I. Judgment as a Matter of Law

"The grant or denial of a motion for judgment as a matter of law is a procedural issue not unique to patent law, reviewed under the law of the regional circuit in which the appeal from the district court would usually lie." Summit Tech., Inc. v. Nidek Co. , 363 F.3d 1219, 1223 (Fed. Cir. 2004). The same holds for a motion for a new trial. Wordtech Sys., Inc v. Integrated Networks Sols., Inc. , 609 F.3d 1308, 1312 (Fed. Cir. 2010).

Under Rule 50, post-verdict judgment as a matter of law is not appropriate unless "the evidence, construed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, permits only one reasonable conclusion, and that conclusion is contrary to the jury's verdict." Pavao v. Pagay , 307 F.3d 915, 918 (9th Cir. 2002). A party seeking judgment as a matter of law must show that the verdict is not supported by "substantial evidence," meaning "relevant 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) (citing Gillette v. Delmore , 979 F.2d 1342, 1346 (9th Cir. 1992) ). The Court is required to "draw all reasonable inferences in the favor of the non-mover, and disregard all evidence favorable to the moving party that the jury is not required to believe." Fifty-Six Hope Rd. Music, Ltd. v. A.V.E.L.A., Inc. ,

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Bluebook (online)
315 F. Supp. 3d 1130, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnstech-intl-corp-v-jf-microtechnology-sdn-bhd-cand-2018.