Pilley v. United States

74 Fed. Cl. 489, 2006 U.S. Claims LEXIS 368, 2006 WL 3488911
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedNovember 30, 2006
DocketNo. 05-382 C
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 74 Fed. Cl. 489 (Pilley v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pilley v. United States, 74 Fed. Cl. 489, 2006 U.S. Claims LEXIS 368, 2006 WL 3488911 (uscfc 2006).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

DAMICH, Chief Judge.

I. Introduction

Plaintiff, who is appearing pro se, is the inventor and owner of nine U.S. patents directed to systems and methods for air traffic control using a global positioning system (“GPS”). In this action under 28 U.S.C. § 1498, Plaintiff seeks damages for the alleged infringement by Defendant of all nine patents. Before the Court is Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, in which Defendant asserts that pursuant to the patent rights clause contained in a contract between Plaintiff and Defendant, Defendant was granted a paid-up, non-exclusive license to practice the patented inventions because the inventions were first actually reduced to practice under the contract. For the reasons set forth below Defendant’s motion is GRANTED.

II. Background

Mr. Harold R. Pilley is the inventor, alone or with Ms. Lois V. Pilley, and the sole owner of the following nine U.S. patents: 5,200,902 (the '902 Patent); 5,548,515 (the '515 Patent); 5,574,648 (the '648 Patent); 5,740,047 (the '047 Patent); 5,867,804 (the '804 Patent); 6,006,158 (the '158 Patent); 6,182,005 (the '005 Patent); 6,195,609 (the '609 Patent); and 6,314,363 (the '363 Patent).1 App. to Def.’s Mot. for Summ. J. (“Def.’s App.”) at 1, 7, 20, 41, 54, 177, 207, 238, and 270. In this suit, Mr. Pilley seeks compensation for the alleged infringement of the patents by the government. Am. Compl. at 16-17.2

The patents in suit pertain to methods and systems for air and ground guidance and navigation at airport terminal grounds and surrounding airspace, providing for control and management from the control tower and other managing centers, such as airline or cargo gate dispatcher locations, and from vehicles and aircraft. Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s Proposed Findings of Uncontroverted Fact (“Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF”), Proposed Revision (“Prop.Rev.”) to 111 (uneontested by Def. in Reply at 7); Def.’s Resp. to Pi’s Proposed Findings of Uncontroverted Fact (“Def.’s Resp. to Pl.’s FF”) 1120. The '902 Patent is central to this litigation because it was the first patent to issue and all of the other patents claim priority to the '902 Patent; hence, the parties’ arguments are largely directed to the '902 Patent.3 The application [492]*492for U.S. Patent 5,200,902 (the '902 Patent) was filed on October 9, 1990, and the patent issued on April 6, 1993. Def.’s App. at 1.

The claims of the '648 Patent are not patentably distinct from the claims of the '902 Patent. Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF 119. The terminal portion of the '648 Patent was disclaimed after April 6, 2010, the date the '902 Patent expires. Id. H 5. The terminal disclaimer was filed in response to a rejection that some of the claims were obvious in view of the invention claimed in the '902 Patent. Id. 116. A terminal disclaimer was also filed in the '804 Patent, surrendering the term of the patent beyond that of the '515 Patent. Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to 1119 (uncontested by Def. in Reply at 7); Def.’s Resp. to Pl.’s FF 111179, 96. The '005 Patent, the '158 Patent, the '609 Patent and the '363 Patent are divisional of the '804 Patent, while the '047 Patent is a continuation of the '515 Patent; all are subject to the term of the '515 Patent. Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to H19 (uncontested by Def. in Reply at 7); Def.’s Resp. to Pl.’s FF 111197-100. Therefore, the terms of all patents in suit expire with either the '902 Patent or the '515 Patent. Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to 1119 (uncontested by Def. in Reply at 7).

Mr. and Ms. Pilley were the owners of Deering System Design Consultants, Inc. (“Deering”). Def.’s App. at 318-322. Mr. Pilley was also a full-time employee, president, cofounder and principal investigator at Deering. App. to Pl.’s Response to Def.’s Mot. for Summ. J. (“Pl.’s App.”) at 133; Def.’s App. at 308, 314. Ms. Pilley was a full-time employee, CEO, cofounder, and principal software engineer at Deering. Pl.’s App. at 133; Def.’s App. at 301, 308, 314. Deering was in the business of computer design and systems consulting. Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF 1130. It was a small business that “specialized in hardware, software, and systems engineering for GPS applications with a concentration in Navigation and Air Traffic Control Technologies.” Id. It was not Deering’s business to own, lease or operate airports. Id.

There are two contracts between Deering and the government and two demonstrations in Manchester, N.H. that are relevant to this dispute. Deering submitted a proposal to the FAA titled “GPS-Based Airport Control, Navigation and Management System” (“Technical Proposal”) on March 27, 1992, in response to Broad Agency Announcement BAA-91-002. Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to II25 (uncontested by Def. in Reply at 10); Def.’s Resp. to Pl.’s FF If 10; Pl.’s App. at 70-94. Based on the Technical Proposal by Deering, the FAA awarded contract DTFA01-93-C-00012 (“1992 Contract”) to Deering on November 18, 1992. Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to 1125 (uncontested by Def. in Reply at 10); Def.’s App. at 301-05. During June and August 1993, Deering successfully performed the contractual services under the 1992 Contract (“1993 Demonstration”). Pl.’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to H 31 (uncontested by Def. in Reply at 10). Deering had previously engaged in a related contract with the government, CTA-34-0014 (“1991 Contract”).4 Pl.’s Resp. to [493]*493Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to H 33 (uneontested by Def. in Reply at 10). During January through July 1991, Deering demonstrated a GPS-based airport navigation system at the request of the FAA under the 1991 Contract (“1991 Demonstration”). Id.

The 1992 Contract was for a “research and development effort as outlined in Section C, Statement of Work for Collision Prediction and Avoidance Using Enhanced GPS.” PL’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to 1125 (uncontested by Def. in Reply at 10); Def.’s App. at 302. More specifically, the scope of the work of the contract was for Deering to “demonstrate and evaluate [a] GPS-based airport, navigation, and control system.” PL’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to 1125 (uneontested by Def. in Reply at 10); Def.’s App. at 303. The objective of the contract was “to provide an operational evaluation of alternative technologies to prevent runway incursions as proposed by [Deering].” Id. Under the contract, Mr. Pilley demonstrated and evaluated a system that he had previously conceived and had been developing as described in the Technical Proposal. PL’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to 1126 (uncontested by Def. in Reply at 10). Part I, § H.8 of the 1992 Contract required Mr. Pilley personally to perform contractual services. PL’s Resp. to Def.’s FF 1128. During performance of the contract, Mr. Pilley carried out the provisions of the Statement of Work for Collision Prediction and Avoidance Using Enhanced GPS. PL’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to H 34a (uneontested by Def. in Reply at 10). After the successful 1993 Demonstration, a final report was submitted to the FAA completing the 1992 Contract. PL’s Resp. to Def.’s FF, Prop. Rev. to 111131, 34a (uneontested by Def. in Reply at 10).

The 1992 Contract incorporated by reference the clause at 48 CFR (FAR) § 52.227-11, “Patent Rights-Retention by the Contractor” (June 1989) (“patent rights clause”). PL’s Resp. to Def.’s FF 1127.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Advanced Aerospace Technologies, Inc. v. United States
129 Fed. Cl. 525 (Federal Claims, 2016)
Intellect Wireless, Inc. v. HTC Corp.
910 F. Supp. 2d 1056 (N.D. Illinois, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
74 Fed. Cl. 489, 2006 U.S. Claims LEXIS 368, 2006 WL 3488911, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pilley-v-united-states-uscfc-2006.