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`571-272-7822
`Date Entered: October 14, 2015
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`
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`ACXIOM CORPORATION, et al.
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`PHOENIX LICENSING, LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`
`____________
` Case CBM2015-00134 Patent 8,234,184 B21
`Case CBM2015-00135 Patent 6,999,938 B1
`Case CBM2015-00136 Patent 7,856,375 B2
`Case CBM2015-00137 Patent 7,890,366 B2
`Case CBM2015-00138 Patent 8,738,435 B2
`Case CBM2015-00139 Patent 7,860,744 B2
`Case CBM2015-00140 Patent 5,987,434
`____________
`
`
`Before STACEY G. WHITE, PETER P. CHEN, ROBERT J. WEINSCHENK, and
`ROBERT A. POLLOCK, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`WHITE, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`
`
`ORDER TO CLARIFY MOTIONS TO TERMINATE
`Conduct of the Proceeding
`37 C.F.R. § 42.5
`
`
`1 This order addresses a similar issue in the seven cases. Therefore, we exercise
`discretion to issue one order to be filed in each case. The parties, however, are not
`authorized to use this style of heading in subsequent papers.
`
`
`
`CBM2015-00134 Patent 8,234,184 B2 CBM2015-00135 Patent 6,999,938 B1
`CBM2015-00136 Patent 7,856,375 B2 CBM2015-00137 Patent 7,890,366 B2
`CBM2015-00138 Patent 8,738,435 B2 CBM2015-00139 Patent 7,860,744 B2
`CBM2015-00140 Patent 5,987,434
`
`
`Pursuant to authorization by the Board, Patent Owner and Petitioner Gerber
`
`Life Insurance (“Gerber”) filed a joint motion requesting termination of
`
`CBM2015-00134 (Paper 11), CBM2015-00135 (Paper 11), CBM2015-00136
`
`(Paper 12), CBM2015-00137 (Paper 10), CBM2015-00138 (Paper 10), CBM2015-
`
`00139 (Paper 10), and CBM2015-00140 (Paper 11) with respect to Gerber.2
`
`Under 35 U.S.C. § 327(a), applicable to post-grant review proceedings for
`
`review of the patentability of covered business method patents, a proceeding shall
`
`be terminated with respect to any petitioner upon the joint request of the petitioner
`
`and the patent owner, unless the Office has decided the merits of the proceeding
`
`before the request for termination is filed. These matters are in the preliminary
`
`stage. Patent Owner Preliminary Responses were filed September 11, 2015, and
`
`September 15, 2015. Decisions whether to institute trial have not been issued in
`
`any of the cases. Thus, these proceedings with respect to Gerber are at a stage
`
`eligible for termination.
`
`Under 35 U.S.C. § 327(b), any agreement or understanding between the
`
`Patent Owner and a Petitioner, including any collateral agreements referred to in
`
`such agreement or understanding, made in connection with, or in contemplation of,
`
`the termination of the proceeding shall be in writing, and a true copy of such
`
`agreement or understanding shall be filed in the Office.
`
`The parties filed a brief termination agreement that does not describe any
`
`terms of the parties’ agreement. Ex. 2002. Gerber and Patent Owner do not
`
`represent that they have filed a true copy of all agreements between the parties as
`
`required by 35 U.S.C. § 327.
`
`
`2 The Motions and supporting documents are identical in each case. Thus, for ease
`of reference we will refer to the filings in CBM2015-00134.
`
`
`
`2
`
`
`
`CBM2015-00134 Patent 8,234,184 B2 CBM2015-00135 Patent 6,999,938 B1
`CBM2015-00136 Patent 7,856,375 B2 CBM2015-00137 Patent 7,890,366 B2
`CBM2015-00138 Patent 8,738,435 B2 CBM2015-00139 Patent 7,860,744 B2
`CBM2015-00140 Patent 5,987,434
`
`
`Within FIVE BUSINESS DAYS of this Order, Gerber and Patent Owner are
`
`required to file a Joint Statement addressing whether any agreements exist, other
`
`than Ex. 2002, resolving the patentability disputes in CBM2015-00134,
`
`CBM2015-00135, CBM2015-00136, CBM2015-00137, CBM2015-00138,
`
`CBM2015-00139, and CBM2015-00140, and if any such agreements exist, to
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`submit a true copy of all such agreements with the Joint Statement. Any such
`
`agreements may be filed with a request that they be treated as business confidential
`
`information under 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c).
`
`If Gerber and Patent Owner assert that no such agreements exist, Gerber and
`
`Patent Owner must jointly certify in writing that there are no other written or oral
`
`agreements or understandings between them made in connection with, or in
`
`contemplation of, the termination of patentability disputes in CBM2015-00134,
`
`CBM2015-00135, CBM2015-00136, CBM2015-00137, CBM2015-00138,
`
`CBM2015-00139, and CBM2015-00140 or the challenge to the patentability of
`
`U.S. Patent Nos. 8,234,184 B2; 6,999,938 B1; 7,856,375 B2; 7,890,366 B2;
`
`8,738,435 B2; 7,860,744 B2; or 5,987,434.
`
`The Joint Certification should be in the following form.
`
`JOINT CERTIFICATION
`
`The parties hereby jointly certify that there are no other written or oral
`
`agreements or understandings, including any collateral agreements, between them,
`
`including but not limited to licenses, covenants not to sue, confidentiality
`
`agreements, payment agreements, or other agreements of any kind that have been
`
`made in connection with or in contemplation of the termination of Gerber Life
`
`Insurance Company from Cases CBM2015-00134, CBM2015-00135, CBM2015-
`
`00136, CBM2015-00137, CBM2015-00138, CBM2015-00139, and CBM2015-
`
`
`
`3
`
`
`
`CBM2015-00134 Patent 8,234,184 B2 CBM2015-00135 Patent 6,999,938 B1
`CBM2015-00136 Patent 7,856,375 B2 CBM2015-00137 Patent 7,890,366 B2
`CBM2015-00138 Patent 8,738,435 B2 CBM2015-00139 Patent 7,860,744 B2
`CBM2015-00140 Patent 5,987,434
`
`00140 pending before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or in regards to any
`
`challenge to the patentability of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,234,184 B2; 6,999,938 B1;
`
`7,856,375 B2; 7,890,366 B2; 8,738,435 B2; 7,860,744 B2; or 5,987,434. The
`
`entire agreement between the Gerber and Patent Owner related to termination of
`
`Gerber from CBM2015-00134, CBM2015-00135, CBM2015-00136, CBM2015-
`
`00137, CBM2015-00138, CBM2015-00139, and CBM2015-00140 is
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`memorialized in Exhibit 2002 filed in CBM2015-00134, CBM2015-00135,
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`CBM2015-00136, CBM2015-00137, CBM2015-00138, CBM2015-00139, and
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`CBM2015-00140.
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`Accordingly, it is:
`
`ORDER
`
`ORDERED that Gerber and Patent Owner shall file with the Board within
`
`FIVE BUSINESS DAYS of this Order a Joint Statement addressing whether any
`
`agreements exist, other than Ex. 2002, resolving the patentability dispute in
`
`CBM2015-00134, CBM2015-00135, CBM2015-00136, CBM2015-00137,
`
`CBM2015-00138, CBM2015-00139, and CBM2015-00140, and if any such
`
`agreements exist, to submit a true copy of all such agreements with the Joint
`
`Statement;
`
`FURTHER ORDERED that, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 327 and
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.74, Gerber and Patent Owner are authorized to file a Joint Request
`
`that any agreements submitted with the Joint Statement be treated as business
`
`confidential; and
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`FURTHER ORDERED, that if no such agreements exist, Gerber and Patent
`
`Owner shall file with the Board within FIVE BUSINESS DAYS of this Order a
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`Joint Certification so stating in the form provided in this Order.
`
`
`
`4
`
`
`
`CBM2015-00134 Patent 8,234,184 B2 CBM2015-00135 Patent 6,999,938 B1
`CBM2015-00136 Patent 7,856,375 B2 CBM2015-00137 Patent 7,890,366 B2
`CBM2015-00138 Patent 8,738,435 B2 CBM2015-00139 Patent 7,860,744 B2
`CBM2015-00140 Patent 5,987,434
`
`
`The Parties are reminded of the Duty of Candor that applies in proceedings
`
`before the Office. 37 C.F.R. § 42.11.
`
`5
`
`
`
`PETITIONER:
`
`Walter Renner
`axf@fr.com
`
`Roberto Devoto
`CBM38784-0006CP1@fr.com
`
`Matthew Jakubowski
`CBM38784-0006CP1@fr.com
`
`
`
`PATENT OWNER:
`
`Shawn Diedtrich
`shawn@prudenslaw.com
`
`Louis Hoffman
`louis@valuablepatents.com
`
`John Love
`jlove@tumeyllp.com