MiTile, Ltd. v. Hasbro, Inc.

984 F. Supp. 2d 525, 2013 WL 5876979, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 155963
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedOctober 30, 2013
DocketCase No. 1:13-cv-451 (GBL/TCB)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 984 F. Supp. 2d 525 (MiTile, Ltd. v. Hasbro, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MiTile, Ltd. v. Hasbro, Inc., 984 F. Supp. 2d 525, 2013 WL 5876979, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 155963 (E.D. Va. 2013).

Opinion

[527]*527 MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

GERALD BRUCE LEE, District Judge.

THIS MATTER is before the Court on Defendant Hasbro, Inc.’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 37). This case concerns Plaintiff MiTile Ltd.’s allegation that Scrabble Flash, Boggle Flash, Yahtzee Flash, and Simon Flash (collectively “the Flash Products”) infringe U.S. Patent No. 8,057,233 (“the '233 Patent”). The Flash Products are game systems manufactured by Defendant, each consisting of four or five électronic tiles that users can arrange to create different, winning patterns.

There are three issues before the Court. The first issue is whether the Court should grant Defendant’s motion for summary judgment on Plaintiffs claim that the Flash Products literally infringe the '233 Patent. The second issue is whether the Court should grant Defendant’s motion for summary judgment on Plaintiffs claim that the Flash Products infringe the '233 Patent under the doctrine of equivalents. The third issue is whether the Court should grant Defendant’s motion for summary judgment on Defendant’s counterclaim that the '233 Patent is invalid because it is anticipated by prior art.

The Court GRANTS IN PART, DENIES IN PART, and DISMISSES AS MOOT IN PART Defendant’s motion for summary judgment. ■ Specifically, the Court GRANTS summary judgment on Plaintiffs claim of literal infringement because the Flash Products combine two elements of the '233 Patent — the communications unit and the proximity sensor — into a single element within the Flash Products — the infrared transceiver. The Court also GRANTS summary judgment on Plaintiffs claim of equivalent infringement because the IR transceiver of the Flash Products is substantially different from the proximity sensor recited in the '233 Patent. The Court DENIES summary judgment on Defendant’s counterclaim of invalidity because Plaintiff has established a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether the prior art cited by Defendant discloses all of the elements of the '233 Patent. Lastly, the Court DISMISSES AS MOOT Defendant’s affirmative defenses of invalidity and lack of willfulness because the Court has determined that the Flash Products do not infringe the '233 Patent as a matter of law.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff MiTile, Ltd. (“MiTile”), a British corporation based in North Wales, brings this action against Defendant Hasbro, Inc. (“Hasbro”), a U.S. toy and game manufacturer based in Rhode Island. Plaintiff alleges one count of willful infringement (Count I) against Defendant. Defendant denies Plaintiffs allegation of willful infringement and raises seven defenses: (i) Failure to State a Claim, (ii) Non-Infringement, (iii) Invalidity, (iv) Waiver, Estoppel, Laches, and/or Acquiescence, (v) Marking, (vi) No Basis for Injunctive Relief, and (vii) Additional Defenses. Defendant also asserts two counterclaims against Plaintiff seeking a declaratory judgment of non-infringement (Count I) and a declaratory judgment of invalidity (Count II). Defendant now requests summary judgment on Plaintiffs claim of infringement, Defendant’s affirmative defenses of invalidity and lack of willfulness, and Defendant’s counterclaims of declaratory judgment of non-infringement and invalidity.

The claim, affirmative defenses, and counterclaims in this case arise from Defendant’s creation, manufacture, and sale of Scrabble Flash, Boggle Flash, Yahtzee Flash, and Simon Flash (collectively “the [528]*528Flash Products”). The Flash Products are game systems, each consisting of four or five electronic tiles, which display a variety of letters, images, and numbers, and which players can arrange in different, winning patterns. (Doc. 1, ¶¶ 37-43.) Plaintiff alleges that the Flash Products infringe U.S. Patent No. 8,057,233 (“the '233 Patent”), literally and under the doctrine of equivalents. The '233 Patent recites a game system consisting of “manually manipulable device[s]” that “interact with a similar device or devices according to their relative locations so as to produce a sensory response for a user[.]” (Doc. 1-1, U.S. Patent No. 8,057,233 col. 1, 11. 6-9 (filed Nov. 15, 2011)). Plaintiff owns all-right, title, and interest in the '233 Patent. (Doc. 1, ¶ 3.)

Thomas Martin Owen (“Owen”), then — • Director of Development at Futurelab,'began developing the “Intelligent Apparatus” system in 2004. (Id. ¶¶ 21-22.) The Intelligent Apparatus system eventually became the prototype for the game system taught in the '233 Patent. On June 2, 2005, Owen filed Patent Application No. 11/142,955 (“the '955 Application”) to cover the game system and on November 15, 2011, the '955 Application matured into the '233 Patent entitled “Manipulable Interactive Devices.” (Id. ¶¶ 14-15.) Owen assigned the '233 Patent to the game development company Smalti on September 4, 2007 and on March 22, 2013, Smalti assigned the '233 Patent to Plaintiff. (Id. ¶¶ 19-20.)

On January 19, 2009, Yesim Kunter, a Concept Designer at Hasbro, learned of Owen’s game system and asked Owen to explain the game system to Hasbro’s Futurist Team, a division within Hasbro with the stated mission of “inspiring] and bringing] new innovative ideas for Hasbro.” (Id. ¶¶ 24-25.) Owen later made a presentation to Phil Sage, Director of Global Technology Acquisition at Hasbro, describing a “multi-sensory play and learning system.” (Doc. 1-6, at 3.) Also, at various times between late 2009 and mid-2010, Owen was in communication with several Hasbro employees, including Kunter, Leigh Anne Cappello, and David Maurer, about the game system. (Doc. 1, ¶¶ 27-32.) In the fall of 2010, Hasbro released Scrabble Flash, consisting of five interactive blocks, each presenting a variety of letters, images, and numbers, (Id. ¶ 33), and in 2011, Hasbro released Yahtzee Flash and Simon Flash, also consisting of interactive blocks presenting a variety of letters, images, and numbers, (Id. ¶ 35).

There are six independent claims at issue, claims 1, 12, 18, and 20-22 of the '233 Patent, and seven dependent claims, claims 5-7, 14, 16, 17, and 19. Claim 1, which illustrates the terms at issue, provides for:

1. A learning game method making use, in play, of a set of at least two manually manipulable interactive blocks each having a changeable individual characterization, each interactive block having:
a processor arranged to control operation of the block;
a power source providing power to the block;
a visual display unit arranged to display visual display material, the visual display material presenting said changeable individual characterization of its respective interactive block in a form selected from the group consisting of: a letter; a group of letters;
and a word;
a response generator;
a communications unit configured, in use, to effect communication with at least a second of said at least two blocks of the set; and [529]*529a proximity sensor configured to sense proximity and determine relative position of at least said second of said at least two interactive blocks....

(Doc. 1-1, '233 Patent col. 8, II. 49-66.)

Defendant filed its Motion for Summary Judgment on August 5, 2013 (Doc. 37), Plaintiff filed its Opposition on August 16, 2013 (Doc. 45), and Defendant filed its Reply on August 22, 2013 (Doc. 54).

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984 F. Supp. 2d 525, 2013 WL 5876979, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 155963, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mitile-ltd-v-hasbro-inc-vaed-2013.