Synchronoss Techs., Inc. v. Dropbox Inc.

389 F. Supp. 3d 703
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedJune 17, 2019
DocketCase No. 16-cv-00119-HSG
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 389 F. Supp. 3d 703 (Synchronoss Techs., Inc. v. Dropbox Inc.) 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
Synchronoss Techs., Inc. v. Dropbox Inc., 389 F. Supp. 3d 703 (N.D. Cal. 2019).

Opinion

HAYWOOD S. GILLIAM, JR., United States District Judge

Pending before the Court are cross-motions for summary judgment filed by Plaintiff Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. ("Synchronoss") and Defendant Dropbox, Inc. ("Dropbox"), briefing for which is complete. Dkt. Nos. 317 ("Dropbox Mot."), 333, 362, 368 ("Dropbox Opp."), 387 ("Dropbox Reply"), 389. The Court held a hearing on these motions on June 14, 2019. For the reasons discussed below, the Court GRANTS Dropbox's motion for summary judgment, and thus DENIES AS MOOT Synchronoss's motion for summary judgment.

I. BACKGROUND

This case concerns two patents related to data synchronization: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,671,757 ("the '757 Patent") and 7,587,446 ("the '446 Patent") (collectively, "the Asserted Patents").

A. The '757 Patent

The '757 Patent is titled "Data Transfer and Synchronization," and claims a system and method for "efficiently, quickly and easily synchronizing devices which can couple to the Internet, or any network." See '757 Patent, 3:23-25. Synchronoss alleges that Dropbox directly infringes claims 1, 8, 9, 14, 16, 21, 24, 26, and 28 of the '757 Patent. See *707Dkt. No. 316-6 ("Alpaugh Report") ¶ 2(i). Independent claim 1 provides:

Claim 1

1. A system for synchronizing data between a first system and a second system, comprising:
a first sync engine on the first system interfacing with data on the first system to provide difference information in a difference transaction;
a data store coupled to the network and in communication with the first and second systems; and
a second sync engine on the second system coupled to receive the difference information in the difference transaction from the data store via the network, and interfacing with data on the second system to update said data on the second system with said difference information;
wherein each said sync engine comprises a data interface, a copy of a previous state of said data, and a difference transaction generator.

The '757 Patent's two other independent claims, claims 16 and 24, include similar limitations as claim 1:

Claim 16

16. A system, comprising:
a first device including at least a first data file and first differencing code, the first device having an input and an output coupled to a network to receive first device data change transactions from, and provide change transactions generated by the first differencing code based on said at least one data file to, said network;
a data store coupled to the network having at least one data structure coupled to store change transactions; and
a second device including at least a second data file and second differencing code, the second device having an input and an output coupled to the network to receive said first device data change transactions from, and provide second change transactions generated by the second differencing code based on said at least second data file to, said data store;
wherein said first differencing code includes a first sync engine having a first data interface, a first copy of a previous state of said data, and a first difference transaction generator, and said second differencing code includes a second sync engine having a second data interface, a second copy of a previous state of said data, and a second difference transaction generator.

Claim 24

24. An Internet synchronization system, comprising:
a storage server having an Internet connection;
a first device coupled to the Internet and including a first device sync engine interfacing with data on the first device, the first device in communication with at least the storage server; and
a second device coupled to the Internet and including a second device sync engine interfacing with data on the second device, the second device in communication with at least the storage server;
wherein each said device sync engine comprises a data interface, a copy of a previous state of said data, and a difference transaction generator.

In short, the '757 Patent discloses a system and method for synchronizing data between two systems or devices by transmitting from one system to another certain *708"difference information," which the parties agree means "information that comprises only the changes to one system's data which have occurred on that system, and instructions for implementing those changes." See Dkt. No. 168 at 3. This difference information is transmitted through what is called a "data store." See, e.g. , '757 Patent, 3:43-45.

B. The '446 Patent

The '446 Patent incorporates the '757 Patent in its entirety, and is titled "Acquisition and Synchronization of Digital Media to a Personal Information Space." The invention "comprises a method for acquiring and maintaining a digital music store in personal information space, comprising: maintaining a personal information space identified with a user including data capable of being used on a client device, and transferring at least a portion of the data from the personal information space to an Internet-coupled device in response to a user request." '446 Patent, 3:45-51. Synchronoss alleges that Dropbox directly infringes claims 1, 2, 6-15, 18 and 19 of the '446 Patent. See Alpaugh Report ¶ 2(ii). Independent claim 1 provides:

1. Amethod of transferring media data to a network coupled apparatus, comprising:

(a) maintaining a personal information space identified with a user including media data comprising a directory of digital media files, the personal information space being coupled to a server and a network;
(b) generating a first version of the media data in the personal information space;
(c) generating a digital media file, in response to an input from the user, comprising a second version of the media data in a same format as the first version in the personal information space, the second version including an update not included in the first version,
(d) obtaining difference information comprising differences between the first version of the media data and the second version of the media data, and
(e) transferring a digital media file over the network containing the difference information from the personal information space to the network coupled apparatus in response to a sync request made from a web browser at the network-coupled apparatus by the user.

Nine dependent claims add narrowing limitations such as (1) "including the step, prior to step (a), of receiving information into the personal information space," see '446 Patent, Claim 2; and (2) including a "directory of digital media files" to comprise the media data, see id., Claim 6.

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Bluebook (online)
389 F. Supp. 3d 703, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/synchronoss-techs-inc-v-dropbox-inc-cand-2019.