Mondis Technology Ltd. v. Lg Electronics Inc.

Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit·Decided August 8, 2025·No. 23-2117·Published

Opinion

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

MONDIS TECHNOLOGY LTD., HITACHI MAXELL, LTD., NKA MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD., MAXELL, LTD.,

Plaintiffs-Appellants

v.

LG ELECTRONICS INC., LG ELECTRONICS USA, INC.,

Defendants-Cross-Appellants

2023-2117, 2023-2116

Appeals from the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in No. 2:15-cv-04431-SRC-CLW, Judge Stanley R. Chesler.

Decided: August 8, 2025

MARTIN JAY BLACK, Dechert LLP, Philadelphia, PA, argued for plaintiffs-appellants. Also represented by JEFFREY EDWARDS, BRIAN GOLDBERG; JEFFREY B. PLIES, Austin, TX.

MICHAEL JOHN BALLANCO, Fish & Richardson P.C., Washington, DC, argued for defendants-cross-appellants. Also represented by CHRISTIAN A. CHU, MICHAEL J. MCKEON, ROBERT ANDREW SCHWENTKER.

2 MONDIS TECHNOLOGY LTD. v. LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Before TARANTO, CLEVENGER, and HUGHES, Circuit Judges.

HUGHES, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey pursuant to a jury verdict and a subsequent denial of motion for judgment as a matter of law. The jury determined that U.S. Patent No. 7,475,180 was not proven invalid and that LG Electronics Inc. and LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc.’s accused products infringed the patent. Because we hold the ’180 patent is invalid for lack of an adequate written description, we reverse.

I

The present appeal arises from a dispute between Appellants Mondis Technology Ltd., Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., n/k/a/ Maxell Holdings, Ltd., and Maxell, Ltd. (collectively, Mondis), owners of U.S. Patent No. 7,475,180, and Cross- Appellants LG Electronics, Inc. and LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. (collectively, LG), over allegations that LG manufactured and sold televisions that infringed claims 14 and 15 of the ’180 patent.

A

The ’180 patent, which issued on January 6, 2009, is titled “Display Unit with Communication Controller and Memory for Storing Identification Number for Identifying Display Unit.” The patent describes a system for controlling a specific display unit, such as a computer monitor, that is configured to receive video signals from an external source, such as a computer. The display unit’s memory stores one or more identification numbers. Id., Fig. 2. A computer may request control of a newly connected display unit by transmitting the computer’s individualized identification number, which the display unit then compares to a

MONDIS TECHNOLOGY LTD. v. LG ELECTRONICS INC. 3

stored list of known identification numbers. Id., 5:38–42. If the computer’s identification number matches a registered identification number in the display unit’s memory, the computer can control aspects of the display unit, such as its brightness and contrast. Id., 5:43–47. If there is no matching identification number, the computer cannot control the display unit. Id., Fig. 3. Alternatively, the computer can store registered identification numbers for specific display units and gain control of a display unit by matching the display unit’s identification number against its stored list. Id., 5:61–6:4.

In either configuration, each identifier is associated with a specific computer or a specific display unit. The patent consistently describes a one-to-one relationship in which one identification number corresponds to one device. For example, the patent provides that “the microcomputer 7 in the display device 6 waits for sending of the identification number assigned to the computer 1, that is, the so- called ID number from the computer 1.” Id., 5:35–38. After this registration process, “the computer 1 is allowed to control the display device 6.” Id., 5:43–44. Similarly, for the alternative configuration where the computer verifies the display unit, “an ID number is sent to the computer 1 from the display device 6 so that the computer 1 identifies that the display device 6 . . . is connected,” and “[b]y doing this, the computer 1 communicates with a specific display device 6.” Id., 5:62–6:6. And “[w]hen an identification number is set to each device, a value which is set by the above control will not be lost by a careless operation of a user.” Id., 10:28– 30.

As initially filed, application claim 40 (which issued as claim 14) recited:

40. A display unit for displaying an image based on video signals inputted from an externally connected video source, comprising:

4 MONDIS TECHNOLOGY LTD. v. LG ELECTRONICS INC.

a video circuit adapted to display an image based on the video signals sent by the externally connected video source; a memory in which at least display unit information is stored, said display unit information including an identification number for identifying said display unit and characteristic information of said display unit; and a communication controller capable of bidirectionally communicating with said video source; wherein said communication controller is capable of communicating said display unit information other than said characteristic information to said video source.

J.A. 18192–93 (emphasis added) (cleaned up).

On June 4, 2002, Mondis amended the claim by inserting the phrase “at least a type of” to overcome a prior art rejection. As amended, claim 14 recites:

14. A display unit for displaying an image based on video signals inputted from an externally connected video source, comprising:

... information including an identification number for identifying at least a type of said display unit and characteristic information of said display unit; and ....

’180 patent, claim 14 (emphasis added). Claim 15, which depends on claim 14, recites:

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15. The display unit according to claim 14, wherein said display unit information is sent to said video source in response to power on of at least one of said display unit and said video source.

Id., claim 15.

B

In 2014, Mondis filed a complaint against LG in the Eastern District of Texas alleging infringement of the ’180 patent and four other patents in the same family. Compl. at ¶ 1, 10–14, Mondis Tech. Ltd. v. LG Elecs., Inc., No. 2:14- CV-702-JRG (E.D. Tex. June 21, 2014), ECF No. 1. The case was then transferred to New Jersey, where it was stayed pending reexamination by the Patent Office. Mondis Tech. Ltd. v. LG Elecs., Inc., No. 2:14-CV-702-JRG, 2015 WL 12818871 (E.D. Tex. June 3, 2015), ECF No. 56 (order granting motion to transfer); Mondis Tech. Ltd. v. LG Elecs., Inc., No. 2:15-CV-04431-SRC-CLW, (D.N.J. Nov. 12, 2015), ECF No. 121 (order granting motion to stay). After some claims of the ’180 patent survived reexamination , Mondis voluntarily cancelled all claims of the other four patents subject to reexamination. J.A. 1060. The district court litigation proceeded, relevant here, on claims 14 and 15 of the ’180 patent.

A jury trial took place in April 2019. LG challenged claims 14 and 15 as invalid for lacking written description for the limitation “said display unit information including an identification number for identifying at least a type of said display unit and characteristic information of said display unit” (the type limitation). LG argued that while the originally filed patent supported the original claim of an identification number for identifying said display unit, it did not support the amended claim’s requirement of identifying a type of said display unit. Mondis did not present a rebuttal case regarding written description during trial. J.A. 20744, 744:3–6.

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On April 9, 2019, the jury found the two asserted claims of the ’180 patent not invalid and infringed. J.A. 193–94. On April 12, 2019, the jury returned a verdict finding willful infringement and awarding $45,000,000 in damages to Mondis. J.A. 216–17.

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Mondis Technology Ltd. v. Lg Electronics Inc., (Fed. Cir. 2025).

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