Lucent Technologies, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp.

837 F. Supp. 2d 1107, 2011 WL 5513225, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130571
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedNovember 10, 2011
DocketCase No. 07-CV-2000 H(CAB)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 837 F. Supp. 2d 1107 (Lucent Technologies, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lucent Technologies, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp., 837 F. Supp. 2d 1107, 2011 WL 5513225, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130571 (S.D. Cal. 2011).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART MICROSOFT’S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT AS A MATTER OF LAW AND IN THE ALTERNATIVE, A NEW TRIAL WITH A REMITTITUR

MARILYN L. HUFF, District Judge.

This case is on remand from the Federal Circuit for a new trial on damages for Microsoft’s infringement of claims 19 and 21 of U.S. Patent Number 4,763,356 (“Day patent”). See Lucent Technologies, Inc. v. Gateway, Inc., 580 F.3d 1301 (Fed.Cir.2009). The first jury returned a finding of 'infringement and validity of the Day patent, and Microsoft appealed the verdict and damages award. -See id. The Federal Circuit affirmed the jury’s verdict on the infringement and validity of the Day patent, but remanded the case for a new trial on damages. Id.

On July 29, 2011, the jury returned a verdict of $70 million as the lump-sum reasonable royalty for Microsoft’s infringement of the Day patent for Microsoft Outlook (versions 2000, 2002, and 2003); Microsoft Money (versions 2000 through 2006); and Windows Mobile (versions Pocket PC 2000, 2002, and 2003, Windows Mobile 2003, and Windows Mobile 5). (Doc. No. 1383.) On July 29, 2011, this Court issued judgment in favor of Lucent against Microsoft in the amount of $70 million. (Doc. No. 1387.)

On August 26, 2011, Microsoft filed a motion for a new trial (Doc. No. 1434) and a post-trial motion for judgment as a matter of law (Doc. No. 1433).1 On September 27, 2011, Lucent filed a response in opposition to Microsoft’s motion for a new trial and post-trial motion for judgment as a matter of law. (Doc. Nos. 1451 & 1454.) On October 4, 2011, Microsoft filed its reply. (Doc. Nos. 1457 & 1458.)

On October 12, 2011, the Court held a hearing on these post-trial motions. Luke Dauchot, Jeanne Heffernan, and Ryan Kane appeared for Plaintiff Lucent. Roger Denning, Michael Florey, Francis Albert, and Craig Countryman appeared for Defendant Microsoft. The Court compliments the attorneys and trial counsel for their excellent advocacy in this case.

After due consideration, the Court grants in part and denies in part the motion for judgment as a matter of law and enters judgment of $26.3 million. The Court also conditionally grants in part and denies in part the motion for a new trial under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50(c), with a remittitur of $26.3 million.

I. Background

This case illustrates the difficulty of properly valuing a small patented component, without a stand-alone market, within a larger program. See Lucent, 580 F.3d at 1324; Uniloc U.S.A., Inc. v. Microsoft, 632 F.3d 1292 (Fed.Cir.2011); ResQNet.com Inc. v. Lansa, Inc., 594 F.3d 860, 869 [1111]*1111(Fed.Cir.2010); Georgia-Pacific Corp. v. United States Plywood Corp., 318 F.Supp. 1116, 1120 (S.D.N.Y.1970).

Microsoft’s popular Outlook product infringes claims 19 and 21 of the Day patent. Lucent, 580 F.3d at 1321, (PX-1 at 17:27-18:14, 18:19-22.) Specifically, the date-picker permits users to calendar appointments by clicking on a calendar and populating the field with the resulting date. The Day patent’s technology is included in 109.3 million Office suite (“Office”) licenses and in 241,800 stand-alone Outlook products, for a total of 109.5 million licenses during the relevant period from January 13, 2003 to December 11, 2006.2 Additionally, Microsoft Money and Windows Mobile infringe the Day patent, but the vast majority of the claimed damages relate to the 109.3 million Office licenses.

In a trial for damages for patent infringement, a prevailing party deserves damages “adequate to compensate for the infringement, but in no event less than a reasonable royalty for the use made of the invention by the infringed.” 35 U.S.C. § 284 (2006). The parties dispute whether the jury had a legally sufficient evidentiary basis to award $70 million for the infringement as a lump-sum royalty. Microsoft argues that Lucent failed to provide the jury with a properly-apportioned damages calculation in violation of the entire market value rule. (Doc. Nos. 1434 & 1433.) Lu-cent responds that it properly apportioned between the patented features and unpatented features under the relevant Georgia-Pacific factors without relying on the entire market value rule. Georgia-Pacific, 318 F.Supp. at 1120.

To support its claim of damages, Lucent called Bruce Tognazzini, a well-recognized technical expert; Dr. Deborah Jay, a survey expert sought by both sides for her renowned expertise in probability surveys; Raymond Sims, an economic expert; Stephen Samuels, Bruce Schneider, and Roger Strieker, Lucent’s licensing witnesses; and adverse witness, William Kennedy, a Microsoft executive. Microsoft strategically elected to put Lucent to its burden of proof. In so doing, Microsoft declined to call its survey expert, a licensing witness, or an economist to evaluate damages. Instead, Microsoft called a professor of negotiation theory, Robert Mnookin, and Microsoft executives William Kennedy and Jensen Harris. The jury, after evaluating the credibility of witnesses, agreed with Lucent and rejected Microsoft’s arguments and biased witness testimony in reaching its valuation of $70 million.

II. Microsoft’s Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law .

A. Legal Standards for Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law

A jury verdict can be overturned and a post-trial motion for judgment as a matter of law granted “only if, under the governing law, there can be but one reasonable conclusion as to the verdict. In other words, the motion should be granted only if ‘there is no legally sufficient basis for a reasonable jury to find for that party on that issue.’ ” Winarto v. Toshiba Am. Elecs. Components, Inc., 274 F.3d 1276, 1283 (9th Cir.2001). In ruling on a motion for judgment as a matter of law, the district court “is not to make credibility determinations or weigh the evidence.” Id. The district court “must accept the jury’s credibility findings consistent with the verdict.” Id.

For the motion, the district court must view the evidence in the light most [1112]*1112favorable to the non-moving party and draw all reasonable evidentiary inferences in favor of the non-moving party. Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 150, 120 S.Ct. 2097, 147 L.Ed.2d 105 (2000); Josephs v. Pac. Bell, 448 F.3d 1050, 1062 (9th Cir.2006). The Court must uphold a jury’s verdict even if the record contains evidence that might support a contrary conclusion to the jury’s verdict. Pavao v. Pagay, 307 F.3d 915, 918 (9th Cir.2002). The district court must disregard evidence favorable to the moving party that the jury is not required to believe. Reeves,

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837 F. Supp. 2d 1107, 2011 WL 5513225, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130571, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lucent-technologies-inc-v-microsoft-corp-casd-2011.