throbber
Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 1 of 16 PageID #: 727
`
`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
`
`PAYRANGE INC.,
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`
`CSC SERVICEWORKS, INC.,
`
`Defendant.
`
`Civil Action No.: 23-278-MN
`
`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
`
`PAYRANGES’ OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS FIRST
`AMENDED COMPLAINT PURSUANT TO FEDERAL RULE OF PROCEDURE
`12(B)(6)
`
`Dated: June 16, 2023
`
`James C. Yoon (PHV pending)
`Ryan R. Smith (PHV pending)
`Jamie Y. Otto (PHV pending)
`WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI, P.C.
`650 Page Mill Road
`Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050
`Telephone: (650) 493-9300
`Facsimile: (650) 565-5100
`jyoon@wsgr.com
`rsmith@wsgr.com
`jotto@wsgr.com
`
`WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI, P.C.
`Ian R. Liston (# 5507)
`222 Delaware Avenue, Suite 800
`Wilmington, DE 19801
`iliston@wsgr.com
`Telephone: (302) 304-7600
`Facsimile: (866) 974-7329
`
`Attorneys for Plaintiff
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 2 of 16 PageID #: 728
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`Page
`
`I.
`
`II.
`
`III.
`
`INTRODUCTION AND RESPONSE TO STATEMENT OF ISSUES ............................ 1
`
`LEGAL STANDARD ......................................................................................................... 2
`
`ARGUMENT ...................................................................................................................... 4
`
`A.
`
`The ’772 Patent Is Directed to Patent-Eligible Subject Matter............................... 4
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`CSC Fails to Establish Representativeness of Claim 1 of the ’772
`Patent........................................................................................................... 4
`
`Alice Step One: The ’772 Patent Focuses on Specific
`Technological Improvements to Mobile Transactions With
`Vending Machines and Other Payment Accepting Units ........................... 5
`
`Alice Step Two: The ’772 Patent Has Inventive Concepts That
`Improve Mobile Transactions With Vending Machines and Other
`Payment Accepting Units ........................................................................... 8
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`PayRange Has Adequately Plead Indirect Infringement Of The ’208, ’608
`and ’772 Patents .................................................................................................... 10
`
`PayRange Has Adequately Plead Willful Infringement of The ’045 Patent ........ 12
`
`IV.
`
`CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 13
`
`-i-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 3 of 16 PageID #: 729
`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`Page(s)
`
`CASES
`Aatrix Software, Inc. v. Green Shades Software, Inc.,
`882 F.3d 1121 (Fed. Cir. 2018)......................................................................................3, 10
`Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int’l,
`134 S. Ct. 2347 (2014) .............................................................................................2, 3, 5, 8
`Automated Tracking Sols., LLC, v. Coca-Cola Co.,
`No. 2017-1494, 2018 WL 935455 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 16, 2018) ........................................3, 10
`Bench Walk Lighting LLC v. LG Innotek Co.,
`No. 20-51-RGA, 2022 WL 606287 (D. Del. Jan. 4, 2022) ................................................11
`Berkheimer v. HP Inc.,
`881 F.3d 1360 (Fed. Cir. 2018)..............................................................................3, 4, 9, 10
`Dynamic Dig. Depth Research Pty Ltd. v. LG Elecs. Inc.,
`No. CV 15-5578-GW(Ex), 2016 WL 7444561 (C.D. Cal. June 6, 2016) ...........................9
`Finjan, Inc. v. Blue Coat Sys., Inc.,
`879 F.3d 1299 (Fed. Cir. 2018)............................................................................................5
`Mayo Collaborative Servs. v. Prometheus Labs., Inc.,
`566 U.S. 66 (2012) ...............................................................................................................3
`TrackTime, LLC v. Amazon.com, Inc.,
`No. CV 18-1518-MN, 2019 WL 2524779 (D. Del. June 19, 2019) ....................................9
`Uniloc USA, Inc. v. LG Elecs. USA, Inc.,
`957 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2020)............................................................................................8
`Visual Memory LLC v. NVIDIA Corp.,
`867 F.3d 1253 (Fed. Cir. 2017)............................................................................................3
`STATUTES
`Section 101.......................................................................................................................2, 3, 4, 5, 8
`RULES
`Rule 12(b)(6) ....................................................................................................................................3
`
`-ii-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 4 of 16 PageID #: 730
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION AND RESPONSE TO STATEMENT OF ISSUES
`
`Plaintiff PayRange, Inc. (“PayRange”) is the leading innovator in mobile payments for
`
`unattended retail, including laundry and vending. PayRange spent years and millions of
`
`dollars researching and developing its patented innovations. Although most customers have
`
`embraced and successfully adopted PayRange’s unique patented technology, CSC adamantly
`
`refused. CSC instead replicated and blatantly infringed PayRange’s patented technology.
`
`Having exhausted all other all other avenues of potential resolution, PayRange brought this
`
`case to hold CSC responsible for its willful infringement.
`
`CSC’s Partial Motion to Dismiss1 falls far short of meeting its burden of establishing
`
`patent-ineligibility of the ’772 Patent by clear and convincing evidence. Fundamentally,
`
`CSC’s patent-ineligibility challenge rests on impermissibly broad and incorrect
`
`characterizations of PayRange’s patent that all but eviscerates the clear and specific
`
`technological enhancements of the claimed inventions. For instance, CSC ignores the
`
`improvements made to the payment process that allows for displaying multiple payment
`
`accepting units, processing transactions without the payment accepting unit being connected to
`
`a server and triggering payments on the mobile phone before establishing a wireless
`
`connection to the payment accepting unit. Properly understood, the ’772 Patent is not directed
`
`to an abstract idea but, rather, concrete improvements to mobile transactions with laundry
`
`machines and other payment accepting units.
`
`1 PayRange filed its Original Complaint, alleging that CSC ServiceWorks, Inc. (“CSC”) infringes
`U.S. Patent Nos. 8,856,045 (“the ’045 Patent”), 10,438,208 (“the ’208 Patent”), 10,891,608 (“the
`‘608 Patent”), and 11,481,772 (“the ’772 Patent”), collectively, “the Asserted Patents.” D.I. 1.
`CSC filed Partial Motion to Dismiss PayRange’s Original Complaint. D.I. 8. PayRange then
`filed an Amended Complaint. D.I. 12. The Court then denied CSC’s motion as moot. D.I. 13.
`CSC filed Partial Motion to Dismiss PayRange’s Amended Complaint. D.I. 14.
`
`-1-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 5 of 16 PageID #: 731
`
`Further, should the Court reach Step Two of Alice, as discussed below, the claims of the
`
`’772 Patent contain several limitations directed to the unconventional inventive concepts
`
`described in the specifications. CSC ignores the factual allegations–which must be accepted as
`
`true for purposes of a motion to dismiss–in the First Amended Complaint demonstrating that
`
`multiple claim elements of the ’772 Patent were not well-understood, routine, or conventional.
`
`At most, CSC’s motion highlights the parties’ factual dispute about what was–or was not–well-
`
`understood, routine, or conventional.
`
`CSC’s attempts to brush off indirect and willful patent infringement based on lack of
`
`knowledge also fails. Prior to this matter, CSC conducted an exhaustive technical evaluation of
`
`PayRange, where CSC learned of number PayRange patents, including the ’045 Patent.
`
`PayRange tried to work with CSC for many years and continually apprised CSC about its
`
`patented technology. To the extent that CSC did not know the identity for each Asserted
`
`Patent, it was due to CSC’s willful blindness. But regardless, PayRange sent CSC a draft
`
`complaint, which specifically identified each Asserted Patent. PayRange has clearly alleged
`
`facts supporting pre-suit knowledge which are sufficient at least at the motion to dismiss stage.
`
`For these reasons, as explained below, CSC’s motion should be denied in full.
`
`II.
`
`LEGAL STANDARD
`
`The Supreme Court recognizes “abstract ideas” as an exception to Section 101’s broad
`
`patentability principles. To identify which claims are and are not abstract ideas, the Supreme
`
`Court has articulated a two-part test:
`
`First, we determine whether the claims at issue are directed to one of
`those patent-ineligible concepts. If so, we then ask, “[w]hat else is there
`in the claims before us?” To answer that question, we consider the
`elements of each claim both individually and “as an ordered
`combination” to determine whether the additional elements “transform
`
`-2-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 6 of 16 PageID #: 732
`
`the nature of the claim” into a patent-eligible application. We have
`described step two of this analysis as a search for an “‘inventive
`concept’”—i.e., an element or combination of elements that is
`“sufficient to ensure that the patent in practice amounts to significantly
`more than a patent upon the [ineligible concept] itself.”
`
`Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int’l, 134 S. Ct. 2347, 2355 (2014) (emphasis added)
`
`(internal citations omitted). The Supreme Court has cautioned that “we tread carefully in
`
`construing this exclusionary principle lest it swallow all of patent law” because “[a]t some
`
`level, ‘all inventions . . . embody, use, reflect, rest upon, or apply laws of nature, natural
`
`phenomena, or abstract ideas.’” Id. at 2354 (citing Mayo Collaborative Servs. v. Prometheus
`
`Labs., Inc., 566 U.S. 66, 71 (2012)).
`
`Turning Step Two of Alice, “whether a claim element or combination of elements is
`
`well-understood, routine and conventional to a skilled artisan in the relevant field is a
`
`question of fact. Any fact, such as this one, that is pertinent to the invalidity conclusion
`
`must be proven by clear and convincing evidence.” Berkheimer v. HP Inc., 881 F.3d 1360,
`
`1368 (Fed. Cir. 2018); see also Automated Tracking Sols., LLC, v. Coca-Cola Co., No.
`
`2017-1494, 2018 WL 935455, at *5 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 16, 2018).
`
`When reviewing a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), all factual inferences must
`
`be drawn in favor of the non-moving party. Visual Memory LLC v. NVIDIA Corp., 867 F.3d
`
`1253, 1261 (Fed. Cir. 2017). For example, in Aatrix Software, Inc. v. Green Shades
`
`Software, Inc., 882 F.3d 1121, 1125 (Fed. Cir. 2018), the Federal Circuit found error where
`
`a district court “denied leave to amend without claim construction and in the face of factual
`
`allegations, spelled out in the proposed second amended complaint, that, if accepted as true,
`
`establish that the claimed combination contains inventive components. . . .” Id.
`
`-3-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 7 of 16 PageID #: 733
`
`III. ARGUMENT
`
`A.
`
`The ’772 Patent Is Directed to Patent-Eligible Subject Matter
`
`The Court should deny CSC’s Partial Motion to Dismiss based on its Section 101
`
`challenge to the ’772 Patent. For Step One of the Alice framework, claim 1 of the ’772
`
`Patent—which is the only claim addressed by CSC—is not directed to the alleged abstract
`
`ideas proffered by CSC. Rather, the claim focuses on specific technological improvements.
`
`For Step Two, the ’772 Patent “involve[s] more than performance of ‘well-understood,
`
`routine, [and] conventional activities previously known to the industry.’” Berkheimer, 881
`
`F.3d at 1367 (citation omitted). The question—whether a claim element or combination of
`
`elements is well-understood, routine and conventional—is one of fact and must be proven by
`
`clear and convincing evidence. Id. Here, because there are factual disputes as to whether the
`
`claims encompass inventive concepts, and at a motion to dismiss stage all factual inferences
`
`must be drawn in PayRange’s favor, dismissal is improper. Id. at 1369 (“While patent
`
`eligibility is ultimately a question of law, the district court erred in concluding there are no
`
`underlying factual questions to the § 101 inquiry.”).
`
`1.
`
`CSC Fails to Establish Representativeness of Claim 1 of the ’772
`Patent
`
`CSC appears to seek dismissal of the ’772 Patent in its entirety, but only provides
`
`analysis of claim 1 of the ’772 Patent. In this regard, CSC incorrectly characterizes claim 1 of
`
`the ’772 Patent as “exemplary.” D.I. 15 at 10. Without any analysis, CSC baldly asserts that the
`
`patent’s other claims are directed to the same alleged abstract idea of using a mobile device for
`
`payment on a machine. D.I. 15 at 12. Even if claim 1 of the ’772 Patent is found to be
`
`abstract and without any inventive concept, other claims of the ’772 patent have additional
`
`limitations that significantly add to the patentability and are simply ignored by CSC. For
`
`-4-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 8 of 16 PageID #: 734
`
`instance, claim 4 adds the limitation of the mobile device using a long-range transceiver to
`
`send the amount of the completed transaction to a server. CSC mistakenly views this addition
`
`in isolation not as part of the entire inventiveness of the claim. This step allows for the user to
`
`wait until they are in a preferred location or have a preferred connection before communicating
`
`the completed transaction to the server. This unconventional approach is an improvement over
`
`the prior art and should not be ignored in the § 101 analysis of the ’772 Patent.
`
`Similarly, claim 7 requires an “accelerometer” and, more specifically, requires “in
`
`accordance with a determination that the user is walking away from the available payment
`
`accepting unit, canceling the wireless communication path.” This is another material claim
`
`limitation, which utilizes an “accelerometer”—a specific electronic sensor—in a novel and
`
`unconventional manner and does so in specific context of mobile transactions with payment
`
`accepting units.
`
`Claim 9 requires that “in addition to exchanging the information, receiving, via the one
`
`or more radio transceivers, a coupon that is targeted to the user of the mobile device based on
`
`the transaction.” This represents a novel approach to presenting coupons to users in
`
`conjunction with mobile transactions.
`
`Accordingly, CSC’s representativeness analysis of the ’772 Patent fails. To the extent
`
`that the Court does not deny CSC’s motion on this basis, PayRange respectfully requests that
`
`the Court limit CSC’s motion to only claim 1.
`
`2.
`
`Alice Step One: The ’772 Patent Focuses on Specific
`Technological Improvements to Mobile Transactions With
`Vending Machines and Other Payment Accepting Units
`CSC erroneously contends that the ’772 Patent is directed to the “abstract idea of
`
`using a mobile device for making payments on a machine, including by requesting,
`
`-5-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 9 of 16 PageID #: 735
`
`transmitting, and displaying information to complete a mobile payment.” D.I. 15 at 7.
`
`CSC’s contention mischaracterizes the ’772 Patent’s inventions and wholly disregards its
`
`improvements over the prior art. See Finjan, Inc. v. Blue Coat Sys., Inc., 879 F.3d 1299,
`
`1303 (Fed. Cir. 2018) (“In cases involving software innovations, [the Step One] inquiry
`
`often turns on whether the claims focus on ‘the specific asserted improvement in computer
`
`capabilities . . . or, instead, on a process that qualifies as an ‘abstract idea’ for which
`
`computers are invoked merely as a tool.’”).
`
`Claim 1 of the ’772 Patent is directed to specific technological improvements.
`
`Specifically, identifying payment units in proximity to the mobile device, receiving user
`
`selection of an available payment accepting unit, and triggering payment by the mobile
`
`payment application prior to establishing a wireless communication path with the selected
`
`payment accepting unit. Only after triggering payment and establishing the wireless
`
`connection is user input accepted to complete the transaction. This represented a specific
`
`way of using payment accepting units and mobile devices to make payments, not abstract
`
`ideas. (’772 Patent, D.I. 12 ¶¶ 83-85), ’772 Patent at 7:33-40, 33:38-48.
`
`The ’772 Patent stands in sharp contrast to conventional approaches. For instance,
`
`a more conventional approach requires that the payment accepting device have a persistent
`
`connection to a remote server in order to communicate with a mobile device. ’772 Patent
`
`at 6:42-60. In this regard, the server acted as an intermediary, governing all
`
`communications between the mobile device and payment accepting unit. Id. The mobile
`
`device had no ability (or need) to identify payment accepting units in proximity. Id.
`
`Rather, the remote server kept track of the payment accepting units. In effect, the payment
`
`was triggered from the server, with the mobile device doing little more than relaying user
`
`input. The server in turn would communicate with a single payment accepting device to
`
`-6-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 10 of 16 PageID #: 736
`
`disburse a requested good or service. Conventional approaches, therefore, required each
`
`payment accepting device to have networking hardware and a consistent network
`
`connection in order to be utilized. This led to increased costs in installation and operation
`
`of payment accepting devices, such as vending machines.
`
`The prosecution history of the ’772 Patent confirms that the claims pertain to a
`
`specific technological improvement. In allowing claims of the ’772 patent, the examiner
`
`identified US 20190236586 A1 (“Mei”) and US 20160132870 A1 (“Xu”) as the closest
`
`prior art to the ’772 Patent. Ex. 1 (’772 Notice of Allowance) at 3. In general, Mei taught
`
`a payment processing method of a vending machine receiving transaction information
`
`from a payment card application on a mobile device. Xu generally taught a method for
`
`facilitating secure transactions on a mobile device when long-range network connections
`
`are unavailable.
`
`The examiner specifically agreed that neither Mei nor Xu taught or suggested the
`
`recited limitations of claims 1, 13, and 15 which begins with “identifying one or more
`
`payment accepting units in proximity to the mobile device, that are available to accept
`
`payment from a mobile payment application executing on the mobile device, the
`
`identifying based at least in part on an identifier …” Ex. 1 (’772 Notice of Allowance,
`
`emphasis added) at 2. CSC’s articulation of the alleged abstract ideas is so broad that it
`
`would apply with equal force to Mei and Xu. That is clearly wrong because the USPTO
`
`examiner found the ’772 Patent novel and non-obvious over these prior art references.
`
`CSC’s assertion that the ’772 Patent merely recites generic network technologies
`
`to carry out payments to a machine in a digital environment is unavailing. D.I. 15 at 13.
`
`CSC ignores the specific technological solutions of the ’772 patent including displaying
`
`-7-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 11 of 16 PageID #: 737
`
`multiple payment accepting units, in proximity to a mobile device, on the mobile device
`
`(’772 claim 1), triggering payment by the mobile payment application before any
`
`connection to the payment accepting unit is established (’772 claim 1), and using wireless
`
`communication technology to facilitate a transaction without connection to a remote
`
`server (’772 claim 1). These specific improvements to transacting between a mobile
`
`device and a payment accepting machine overcame critical shortcomings in the prior art,
`
`including transforming the role of the remote server and mobile device.
`
`The Federal Circuit has upheld patentability in other network related patents where
`
`there is improvement to the computer functionality. In Uniloc USA, Inc. v. LG Elecs.
`
`USA, Inc. the court found that a patent that reduced latency in network communications
`
`were directed to a patent-eligible improvement. 957 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2020). The
`
`court also found that “[t]he claimed invention's compatibility with conventional
`
`communication systems does not render it abstract. Nor does the fact that the
`
`improvement is not defined by reference to ‘physical’ components.” Id. at 1309. So too
`
`here, CSC’s arguments that the patented technology’s use of conventional components do
`
`not make it inherently abstract. Instead, the court should recognize the improvements
`
`made by the claims in mobile payment processing.
`
`The claims of the ’772 Patent are not directed to an abstract idea and the motion to
`
`dismiss on §101 grounds should be denied.
`
`3.
`
`Alice Step Two: The ’772 Patent Has Inventive Concepts That
`Improve Mobile Transactions With Vending Machines and
`Other Payment Accepting Units
`
`Even if the Court were to reach Step Two of the Alice framework, the ’772 Patent adds
`
`sufficient inventive concepts because the claimed inventions each constitute new and unique
`
`-8-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 12 of 16 PageID #: 738
`
`ways of improving mobile transactions with vending machines and other payment accepting
`
`units. Indeed, PayRange’s innovations constitute more than a sufficient “inventive concept” to
`
`pass muster under Step Two of the Alice framework as they “involve more than performance
`
`of ‘well-understood, routine, [and] conventional activities previously known to the industry.’”
`
`Berkheimer, 881 F.3d at 1367 (citation omitted). See also Dynamic Dig. Depth Research Pty
`
`Ltd. v. LG Elecs. Inc., No. CV 15-5578-GW(Ex), 2016 WL 7444561, at *7-8 (C.D. Cal. June
`
`6, 2016) (claims added inventive concept where specification described a particular claim
`
`limitation as a specific “advancement over prior art depth-mapping techniques” and another
`
`claim limitation, “classifier,” as “specifically limited” to particular relationships and “ha[ving]
`
`no meaning absent these relationships”).
`
`Citing TrackTime, LLC v. Amazon.com, Inc., No. CV 18-1518-MN, 2019 WL
`
`2524779, at *5 (D. Del. June 19, 2019), CSC argues that “claims—which are drawn to the
`
`abstract idea of using a mobile device for payment on a machine—‘do not supply the
`
`requisite inventive concept because they are simply well-known generic computer
`
`components functioning in a conventional way.’” D.I. 15 at 14. But that assessment both
`
`leaves out key facts from the TrackTime decision and ignores the inventive concepts in the
`
`’772 Patent. In TrackTime, the quoted passage goes on to say that the claims “do not supply
`
`the requisite inventive concept because they are simply well-known generic computer
`
`components functioning in a conventional way and their ordered combination is the only
`
`logical order that there can be[.]” Id. (emphasis added). There, the court found no possible
`
`inventive concept because the patent claimed generic computer components and used them in
`
`the only order they could be used.
`
`-9-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 13 of 16 PageID #: 739
`
`Here, in contrast, the unconventional order and way in which the computer elements
`
`are used is an inventive concept of the ’772 Patent. As discussed above, the ’772 Patent
`
`claims displaying multiple payment accepting units in proximity to a mobile device,
`
`triggering payment on a mobile device (rather than triggering payment on a server) and doing
`
`so before connecting to a payment accepting unit. ’772 Patent at 47:7-10 and 24-31.
`
`Further, the ’772 patent provides for completing a transaction with a payment accepting unit
`
`without the need for connecting to a remote server. ’772 Patent 47:24-31. In contrast, a
`
`conventional approach would require a user on a mobile device to first establish a connection
`
`with a remote server. ’772 Patent at 6:53-58. Only then could a user pay for a good or
`
`service. The ’772 Patent, therefore, goes against conventional wisdom in the way it performs
`
`the described transactions.
`
`CSC’s arguments to the contrary are not persuasive. D.I. 15 at 13-16. As an initial
`
`matter, “whether a claim element or combination of elements is well-understood, routine and
`
`conventional to a skilled artisan in the relevant field is a question of fact” that the court must
`
`accept as true. Berkheimer, 881 F.3d at 1368 (emphasis added); see also Automated Tracking,
`
`2018 WL 935455, at *5. PayRange’s First Amended Complaint contains numerous plausible
`
`factual allegations that, if accepted as true, establish that the claims of the ’772 patent contains
`
`inventive concepts. Aatrix, 882 F.3d at 1125. CSC’s disagreement about whether the claims
`
`contain an inventive concept simply illustrates the prematurity of its motion. Berkheimer, 881
`
`F.3d at 1367. Accordingly, CSC’s motion should be denied.
`
`B.
`
`PayRange Has Adequately Plead Indirect Infringement Of The ’208, ’608
`and ’772 Patents
`PayRange has adequately plead indirect infringement of the ’208, ’608 and ’772 Patents
`
`and these claims should not be dismissed at this stage. CSC contends that the complaint does not
`
`-10-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 14 of 16 PageID #: 740
`
`adequately allege specific knowledge of these patents, but PayRange has alleged facts that, when
`
`taken as true, support both actual knowledge and, in the alternative, willful blindness of the
`
`Asserted Patents.
`
`For instance, PayRange specifically alleges that CSC willfully blinded itself to
`
`knowledge of the Asserted Patents despite knowing PayRange had relevant patents. D.I. 12 ¶ 8.
`
`PayRange alleges that CSC had been in several meetings with PayRange and had been shown a
`
`detailed technical presentation emphasizing PayRange’s patent protection. Further, CSC
`
`analyzed PayRange’s products that were labeled “Patented” and “Patent Pending”, visited
`
`PayRange’s website, which clearly identifies PayRange as a patent owner, and CSC even
`
`registered sample PayRange products online, again being notified of PayRange’s patents. D.I. 12
`
`¶ 8-12. Yet, CSC inexplicitly failed to investigate whether their activity would infringe these
`
`patents. D.I. 12 ¶ 8. After doing their own testing of PayRange’s patented products, CSC
`
`requested even more information from PayRange. This second round of technical presentations
`
`from PayRange identified many patents in PayRange’s portfolio that covered the disclosed
`
`technology. D.I. 12 ¶ 17. CSC, with knowledge of PayRange’s rights in this space, went ahead
`
`with their plans to make the infringing products. CSC released multiple mobile apps that copied
`
`the protected functionality of the PayRange app. D.I. 12 ¶ 20. Having seen so much of
`
`PayRange’s patented technology, CSC chose to ignore these rights and continue on with plans to
`
`infringe. To the extent that CSC did not have actual knowledge of the patents in suit, CSC’s
`
`blatant actions in acquiring PayRange’s technical information only to appropriate it as their own,
`
`is evidence of willful blindness on their part.
`
`Finally, as PayRange properly alleges, CSC had actual knowledge of the Asserted
`
`Patents. PayRange sent a detailed presentation discussing its intellectual property and CSC’s
`
`-11-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 15 of 16 PageID #: 741
`
`infringement along with a draft complaint before initiating this lawsuit to CSC’s counsel. As
`
`alleged, the draft complaint specifically identified each Asserted Patent and the specific bases for
`
`alleged infringement. Courts in this District have found that a pre-suit letter that lists specific
`
`patents and accuses products of the recipient is sufficient to plead knowledge for the patents in
`
`suit. See, e.g., Bench Walk Lighting LLC v. LG Innotek Co., No. 20-51-RGA, 2022 WL 606287
`
`(D. Del. Jan. 4, 2022). The draft complaint provided more than enough notice as this court has
`
`found pleading specific products and features that infringe is not required. Id. at *2 (“There is no
`
`requirement that a plaintiff pleads notice of how specific product features infringe specific
`
`patents. A plaintiff must plead, as Bench Walk has, that defendants had (1) knowledge of the
`
`patents-in-suit and (2) knowledge of infringement.”).
`
`No steps were taken by CSC to avoid infringement after receiving this information.
`
`Instead, CSC continued to infringe the Asserted Patents with knowledge that they had no right to
`
`do so. CSC’s motion makes no mention of PayRange’s assertions that CSC actively encourages
`
`their business partners and/or customers to use payment modules in an infringing manor. These
`
`allegations, taken as true, support PayRange’s claims for indirect infringement and dismissal of
`
`these claims should be denied.
`
`C.
`
`PayRange Has Adequately Plead Willful Infringement of The ’045 Patent
`
`PayRange has adequately plead, and CSC has not denied, willful infringement of the
`
`’045 Patent. PayRange’s First Amended Complaint alleges that CSC knew of the ’045
`
`Patent, and proceeded infringing despite such knowledge.
`
`The ’045 Patent was identified in multiple places that CSC knew about and chose to
`
`ignore. PayRange sent CSC a PayRange BluKey, marked with the ’045 Patent number, for
`
`testing. D.I. 12 ¶ 14. PayRange’s technical presentation that followed CSC’s request for
`
`-12-
`
`

`

`Case 1:23-cv-00278-MN Document 16 Filed 06/16/23 Page 16 of 16 PageID #: 742
`
`more information also specifically called out the ’045 Patent. D.I. 12 ¶ 18. Even though
`
`CSC had been made aware of the ’045 Patent months in advance, they developed their own
`
`product that they knew infringed. Having knowledge of the patent and intentionally
`
`developing infringing products, PayRange’s allegations of willful infringement as to the ’045
`
`Patent should not be dismissed.
`
`IV. CONCLUSION
`
`For the foregoing reasons, PayRange respectfully requests that CSC’s motion to dismiss
`
`be denied in its entirety.
`
`Dated: June 16, 2023
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`By: /s/ Ian R. Liston
`Ian R. Liston (# 5507)
`WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
`Professional Corporation
`222 Delaware Avenue, Suite 800
`Wilmington, DE 19801
`iliston@wsgr.com
`Telephone: (302) 304-7600
`Facsimile: (866) 974-7329
`
`James C. Yoon (PHV pending)
`Ryan R. Smith (PHV pending)
`Jamie Y. Otto (PHV pending)
`WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
`Professional Corporation
`650 Page Mill Road
`Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050
`Telephone: (650) 493-9300
`Facsimile: (650) 565-5100
`jyoon@wsgr.com
`rsmith@wsgr.com
`jotto@wsgr.com
`
`ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF PAYRANGE
`INC.
`
`-13-
`
`

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.

Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll get a whole lot more, including:

  • Up-to-date information for this case.
  • Email alerts whenever there is an update.
  • Full text search for other cases.
  • Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.

Become a Member

One Moment Please

The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.

Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.

Your document is on its way!

If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.

Sealed Document

We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.

If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket