throbber

`
`Trials@uspto.gov
`571.272.7822
`
`Paper No. 11
` Filed: April 12, 2017
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`_______________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`_______________
`
`FACEBOOK, INC. and INSTAGRAM, LLC,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`SKKY, LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`_______________
`
`Case CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`_______________
`
`
`
`
`
`Before KARL D. EASTHOM, WILLIAM V. SAINDON, and
`CHRISTOPHER G. PAULRAJ, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`
`SAINDON, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`
`
`
`DECISION
`Denying Institution of Covered Business Method Patent Review
`37 C.F.R. § 42.208
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`
`I. INTRODUCTION
`Facebook, Inc. and Instagram, LLC (collectively, “Petitioner”), filed a
`Petition (Paper 1, “Pet.”) requesting covered business method (“CBM”)
`patent review of claims 1–14 of U.S. Patent No. 9,203,870 B2 (Ex. 1001,
`“the ’870 patent”) under Section 18 of the Leahy-Smith America Invents
`Act, Pub. L. No. 112–29, 125 Stat. 284, 329 (2011) (“AIA”). Patent Owner,
`Skky, LLC, filed a Preliminary Response. Paper 8 (“Prelim. Resp.”). With
`its Preliminary Response, Patent Owner provided evidence (Ex. 2001) that it
`filed with the Office a statutory disclaimer of claims 1–7 and 9 of the ’870
`patent pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 1.321(a). Prelim. Resp. 1–2 (citing Ex.
`2001). After the Preliminary Response, Petitioner filed a Preliminary Reply
`to Patent Owner’s Preliminary Response, as authorized by the panel
`pursuant an e-mail request by Petitioner, to address the consequences of
`Patent Owner’s disclaimer of those claims. Paper 9 (“Pet. Prelim. Reply”).
`In response to the Preliminary Reply, Patent Owner filed a Preliminary Sur-
`Reply, also as authorized by the panel. Paper 19 (“PO Sur-Reply”).
`We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 324(a).
`Section 18(a)(1) of the AIA provides that a covered business method
`patent review “shall be regarded as, and shall employ the standards and
`procedures of, a post-grant review” with certain exceptions not relevant
`here. Under 35 U.S.C. § 324(a), a post-grant review cannot be “instituted
`unless the Director determines that the information presented in the
`petition. . . would demonstrate that it is more likely than not that at least 1 of
`the claims challenged in the petition is unpatentable.”
`Upon consideration of the record, we determine that the ’870 patent is
`not a covered business method patent and accordingly deny the Petition.
`
`2
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`
`A. Related Matters
`Petitioner states that Patent Owner asserted the ’870 patent against
`Petitioner in pending litigation, namely Skky, LLC v. Facebook, Inc., No.
`16:cv-00094 (D. Minn.) (filed Jan. 15, 2016). Pet. 1. Petitioner lists related
`PTAB proceedings as follows: CBM2016-00091 (challenging U.S. Pat. No.
`9,037,502, a continuation of the same application to which the ’870 patent
`also claims priority); and IPR2014-01236 (challenging U.S. Patent No.
`7,548,875, the parent to the ’870 patent). Id. at 1–2. In addition to
`CBM2016-00091, Patent Owner lists several related PTAB proceedings and
`other related matters. See Paper 6, 2–3. Listed PTAB proceedings involving
`the instant parties include the following: CBM2017-00003; CBM2017-
`00006; CBM2017-00007; IPR2017-00088; IPR2017-00089; and IPR2017-
`00092; IPR2017-00097. Id. at 2.
`B. The ’870 Patent
`The ’870 patent describes a method for delivering audio and/or visual
`media files, including recordings of songs, musical compositions, ringtones,
`video, films, television shows, and personal recordings, wirelessly or non-
`wirelessly to devices for playback of the content, with or without an Internet
`connection. Ex. 1001, Abstract.
`
`3
`
`
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`
`Figure 5 of the ’870 patent follows:
`
`
`
`According to the specification, Figure 5 depicts a flow chart for
`delivering data content by transmitting data over an audio channel of a
`wireless telephone. See Ex. 1001, 16:29–34. Data transmission method 500
`includes transferring data from a server by converting stored digital
`information to analog information (i.e., D/A conversion, step 510) wherein
`the server transmits the signal to a receiver using an orthogonal frequency-
`division multiplex scheme (OFDM). See id. at 16:29–17:46; Ex. 1002
`¶¶ 42–45, 93–95. Prior to the D/A conversion, the transmitter scrambles
`data representing a data file (502), maps that to complex frequency symbols
`(504), converts that to time samples using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)
`(506), and adds a cyclic prefix (508). Ex. 1001, 16:37–41. After the D/A
`conversion and OFDM modulation, a telephone receiver decodes the
`modulated symbols by a reverse conversion process (i.e., an analog to digital
`(A/D) conversion process) to recover the transmitted audio or video file to
`be stored as digital information (512–520). See id. at 16:41–46, 18:5–11.
`
`4
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`
`C. Challenged Claim 1
`Claims 8 and 10–14 remain of the originally challenged claims.
`Claim 8 is the sole independent claim challenged:
`8. A method for distributing electronic content over a cellular
`network to a user operating a cellular phone, the method being
`executable by a computer system that includes server hardware
`and a data base, the method comprising:
`providing for the transmission to the cellular phone by
`orthogonal
`frequency-division multiplex
`(OFDM)
`modulation of a database of electronically accessible data
`files, each data file been subject to a copyright owner;
`receiving, by the computer system, a selection from the cellular
`phone corresponding to at least one of the data file;
`providing for the transmission of, by the computer system and in
`response to the received selection, a portion of the selected
`data file to the cellular phone electronic device;
`receiving, by the computer system, a request for the data file for
`which the portion was provided to the cellular phone
`electronic device; and
`providing for the transmission, by the computer system, of the
`requested data file to the cellular phone, said cellular phone
`including a digital signal processor configured to receive the
`data file over a cellular network by orthogonal frequency-
`division multiplex (OFDM) modulation.
`
`
`
`D. The Alleged Grounds of Unpatentability
`The Petition asserts the unpatentability of claims 1–14 for failure to
`recite patent-eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101, for failure to
`correspond in scope with that which the inventor regards as the invention
`under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 112 ¶ 2), and for lack of
`written description under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 112 ¶ 1).
`Pet. 44. Based on Patent Owner’s disclaimer of claims 1–7 and 9, only
`challenges to claims 8 and 10–14 remain. To support its challenges,
`
`5
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`Petitioner relies on the Declaration of William H. Beckmann, Ph.D. Ex.
`1002.
`
`II. ANALYSIS
`A. Grounds for Standing
`Section 18 of the AIA created a transitional program for persons who
`have been sued or charged with infringement of a “covered business method
`patent.” AIA §§ 18(a)(1)(B), 18(d)(1); see 37 C.F.R. § 42.302. As noted
`above, Petitioner represents that it has been sued for infringement of the
`’870 patent in Skky, LLC v. Facebook, Inc., No. 16:cv-00094 (D. Minn.)
`(filed Jan. 15, 2016). Pet. 1. We determine that the infringement suit
`confers standing on Petitioner. See AIA §§ 18(a)(1)(B), 18(d)(1); 37 C.F.R.
`§ 42.302. Patent Owner does not dispute that Petitioner has standing. See
`Paper 6, 2.
`
`B. Covered Business Method Patent
`A “covered business method (CBM) patent” is “a patent that claims a
`method or corresponding apparatus for performing data processing or other
`operations used in the practice, administration, or management of a financial
`product or service, except that the term does not include patents for
`technological inventions.” AIA § 18(d)(1); 37 C.F.R. § 42.301(a). Under
`AIA § 18 (a)(1)(E), “[t]he Director may institute a transitional proceeding
`only for a patent that is a covered business method patent.” (Emphasis
`added). A patent is eligible for CBM review if it has at least one claim
`directed to a covered business method. Transitional Program for Covered
`Business Method Patents—Definitions of Covered Business Method Patent
`and Technological Invention; Final Rule, 77 Fed. Reg. 48,734, 48,736
`(Response to Comment 8).
`
`6
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`
`Addressing the scope of CBM patents, Versata Dev. Grp., Inc. v. SAP
`Am., Inc., 793 F.3d 1306, 1325 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (emphasis added), cert.
`denied, 136 S. Ct. 2510 (2016), explains that
`as a matter of statutory construction, the definition of “covered
`business method patent” is not limited to products and services
`of only the financial industry, or to patents owned by or directly
`affecting the activities of financial institutions such as banks and
`brokerage houses. The plain text of the statutory definition
`contained in § 18(d)(1)—“performing . . . operations used in the
`practice, administration, or management of a financial product or
`service”—on its face covers a wide range of finance-related
`activities. The statutory definition makes no reference to
`financial institutions as such, and does not limit itself only to
`those institutions.
`Stated differently, the scope of what constitutes a covered business method
`patent includes a broad array of “monetary matters.” See SAP Am., Inc. v.
`Versata Dev. Grp., Inc., Case CBM2012-00001, slip op. at 23 (PTAB Jan. 9,
`2013) (Paper 36) (“The term financial is an adjective that simply means
`relating to monetary matters.”).
`In two recent cases, PTAB’s reviewing court clarified the scope of
`CBM review, and held that the Board’s reliance on phrases in the legislative
`history, i.e., whether the patent claims activities “incidental to” or
`“complementary to,” a financial activity as the legal standard to determine
`whether a patent is a CBM patent, was not in accordance with AIA
`§ 18(d)(1). Unwired Planet, LLC v. Google Inc., 841 F.3d 1376, 1379–82
`(Fed. Cir. 2016); Secure Axcess, LLC v. PNC Bank Nat’l Ass’n, 848 F.3d
`1370, 1381 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 21, 2017) (“Consistent with Unwired Planet, we
`hold that the emphasized phrase [i.e., ‘incidental to’ or ‘complementary to’ a
`financial activity (as set forth in the legislative history)] is not a part of the
`
`7
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`statutory definition of what is a CBM patent, and, as we did in Unwired
`Planet, we conclude that such a definition of a CBM patent is beyond the
`scope of the statutory standard and thus ‘not in accordance with law.’”
`(quoting Unwired Planet, 841 F.3d at 1382)).
`C. Analysis
`As noted above, Patent Owner disclaimed claims 1–7 and 9. Prelim.
`Resp. 5 (citing Ex. 2001); Pet. Prelim. Reply (addressing the disclaimer); PO
`Sur-Reply (replying to Pet. Prelim. Reply). Patent Owner argues that for the
`purpose of determining whether or not to institute a CBM proceeding, the
`Board must treat disclaimed claims “as never having existed.” Prelim. Resp.
`5–6 (citing Great West Cas. Co. v. Intellectual Ventures II LLC, Case
`CBM2015-00171, slip op. at 7 (PTAB Feb. 9, 2016) (Paper 10)).
`Relying on 37 C.F.R. § 42.207 and non-precedential Board cases,
`Patent Owner contends that “[w]hen a patent owner files a statutory
`disclaimer with its preliminary response, ‘no post-grant review will be
`instituted based on disclaimed claims.’” Id. at 5 (quoting 37 C.F.R.
`§ 42.207; citing, e.g., Google Inc. v. SimpleAir, Inc., Case CBM2015-00019,
`slip. op. at 5, (PTAB Aug. 19, 2015) (“Our rules permit a patent owner to
`file a statutory disclaimer with its preliminary response and no post-grant
`review will be instituted based on the disclaimed claims.”) (Paper 15, 5)).
`Patent Owner also contends that pursuant to the disclaimer, “only
`Petitioners’ arguments relating to independent claim 8 and its dependent
`claims 10–14 remain,” and these claims do not confer CBM status on the
`’870 patent. Id. at 5, 5–25.
`Although previous non-precedential PTAB decisions do not bind this
`panel, several panels confronted with the issue of alleged CBM eligibility on
`
`8
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`the basis of disclaimed claims have reached the conclusion that the
`disclaimed claims should be disregarded, as Patent Owner argues. See, e.g.,
`CoreLogic, Inc. v. Boundary Solutions, Inc., Case CBM2016-00016, slip op.
`at 6−7 (PTAB May 24, 2016) (Paper 9) (“[T]he disclaimed claims should
`not be consulted when determining whether the patent is a covered business
`method patent.”); AT&T Mobility LLC v. Intellectual Ventures II LLC, Case
`CBM2015-00185, slip op. at 10 (PTAB May 4, 2016) (Paper 10) (“[W]e will
`not consider the now-statutorily disclaimed claims in our determination.”);
`Great West Casualty Co. v. Intellectual Ventures II LLC, Case CBM2015-
`00171, slip op. at 7 (PTAB Feb. 9, 2016) (Paper 10) (“[F]or the purposes of
`whether or not to institute a covered business method patent review, we treat
`[the disclaimed claims] as never having existed.”); Google Inc. v. SimpleAir,
`Inc., Case CBM2015-00019, slip op. at 14–15 (PTAB May 19, 2014) (Paper
`11) (“[W]e treat the [challenged] patent as though [the disclaimed claim]
`never existed.”).
`On the other hand, other non-binding PTAB decisions have held that a
`disclaimed dependent claim that includes finance-related subject matter may
`be considered for purposes of CBM eligibility when assessing the scope of
`the claimed subject matter in the parent (non-disclaimed) independent claim.
`See, e.g., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. v. Intellectual Ventures II LLC, Case
`CBM2014-00157, slip op. at 2–3 (PTAB Feb. 18, 2015) (Paper 11)
`(“[S]tanding for covered business method patent review remains at least
`because disclaimer of claim 12 does not change the scope of independent
`claim 1, from which it depends.”).
`The majority of PTAB cases cited above track Federal Circuit
`precedents that treat disclaimed claims in non-CBM contexts as if those
`
`9
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`claims never existed. See Vectra Fitness, Inc. v. TWNK Corp., 162 F.3d
`1379, 1383 (Fed. Cir. 1998) (“This court has interpreted the term
`‘considered as part of the original patent’ in section 253 to mean that the
`patent is treated as though the disclaimed claims never existed.”); Guinn v.
`Kopf, 96 F.3d 1419, 1422 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (“A statutory disclaimer under 35
`U.S.C. § 253 has the effect of canceling the claims from the patent and the
`patent is viewed as though the disclaimed claims had never existed in the
`patent.”); Genetics Inst., LLC v. Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Inc., 655
`F.3d 1291, 1299 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (holding that the Board’s interference
`jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 291 requires “the existence of an interference,
`and a claim that ‘never existed[ ]’ [due to a statutory disclaimer,] Vectra,
`162 F.3d at 1383, cannot form the basis for an interference”).
`Nevertheless, Petitioner contends that because Patent Owner
`disclaimed claims 1–7 and 9 after Petitioner filed its Petition, they must be
`considered in determining if the ’870 patent qualifies for CBM review. Pet.
`Prelim. Reply 2 (arguing that “the disclaimed claims, if considered, will
`amply qualify the ’870 patent for CBM patent review”). According to
`Petitioner, not considering these claims would violate “the time-of-filing
`rule,” a rule in federal court litigation that “serves the important policy of
`preventing a responding party from depriving a forum of its authority
`through post-filing manipulation of the facts under the responding party’s
`control.” Id. at 3. Petitioner also argues that 37 C.F.R. § 42.207 (upon
`which Patent Owner relies as noted above and further below), “only prevents
`the institution of CBM patent review against claims that have been
`disclaimed.” Id. at 5 (emphasis deleted).
`
`10
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`
`Further addressing 37 C.F.R. § 42.207 in the context of the “time-of-
`filing” rule, Petitioner explains that
`[t]he
`[regulation]
`is simply one of convenience and
`administrative economy that obviates the Board from having to
`pass on the merits of claims that a patent owner itself has
`abandoned. Nothing in that [regulation] prohibits the Board from
`relying on a disclaimed claim to determine whether the patent as
`a whole qualifies as a “covered business method patent” under
`the AIA at the time the CBM petition is filed. Nor does that
`[regulation] require that the Board treat disclaimed claims “as if
`they never existed,” as Patent Owner urges. (Paper 6 at 5–6.)
`After all, a disclaimer does not erase the existence of the claim
`from the intrinsic record. See, e.g., Bd. of Regents of Univ. of
`Tex. v. BENQ Am. Corp., 533 F.3d 1362, 1370 (Fed. Cir. 2008)
`(reviewing a cancelled dependent claim during claim
`construction analysis); Great West Cas. Co. v. Intellectual
`Ventures II LLC, CBM2015-00171 (Paper 10), at p. 8 (PTAB
`Feb. 9, 2016) (“We acknowledge that other panels of the Board
`have taken the caveat that an otherwise statutorily disclaimed
`dependent claim, which includes finance-related subject matter,
`may still be considered . . . [.]”) (internal citations omitted); J.P.
`Morgan Chase & Co. v. Intellectual Ventures II LLC, Case
`CBM2014-00157, slip op. at 2–3 (PTAB Feb. 18, 2015) (Paper
`11) (holding post-institution disclaimer did not alter scope of
`claims being challenged or justify termination of trial).
`Pet. Prelim. Reply 6–7.
`Petitioner makes additional related arguments urging the adoption of
`the “time-of-filing” rule. See id. at 1–7. Petitioner’s arguments are not
`persuasive. Patent Owner persuasively argues, “[w]hen a patent owner files
`a statutory disclaimer with its preliminary response, ‘no post-grant review
`will be instituted based on disclaimed claims.’” Prelim. Resp. 5 (quoting 37
`C.F.R. § 42.207). Supporting Patent Owner, AIA § 18 (a)(1)(E) states that
`“[t]he Director may institute a transitional proceeding only for a patent that
`is a covered business method patent.” (Emphasis added).
`
`11
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`
`Adopting the “time-of-filing” rule, as advanced by Petitioner, would
`require determining if the ’870 patent was a CBM at the time of filing of the
`Petition, instead of what “is a covered business method patent,” AIA § 18
`(a)(1)(E), i.e., what is a CBM patent at the time of institution. Adopting the
`“time-of-filing” rule also appears to violate 37 C.F.R. § 42.207, which
`prohibits instituting a CBM “based on disclaimed claims.” Id. (emphasis
`added). Consistent with the view that a CBM institution determination must
`focus on the challenged claims existing at least as of the time of institution,
`Secure Axcess requires a challenged patent to “have a claim that contains . . .
`a financial activity element,” 848 F.3d at 1381, and Vectra Fitness, Inc., 162
`F.3d at 1383, Guinn, 96 F.3d at 1422, and Genetics Inst., 655 F.3d at 1299,
`require treating disclaimed claims as though they never existed. See PO Sur-
`Reply 2 (“relevant case law directly contradicts Petitioners’ arguments”)
`(citing Secure Axcess and Unwired Planet); see also Blue Calypso, LLC v.
`Groupon, Inc., 815 F.3d 1331, 1348 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (approving of prior
`Board decisions that “properly focuse[d] on the claim language at issue and,
`finding nothing explicitly or inherently financial in the construed claim
`language, decline[d] to institute CBM review,” and finding that the
`challenged patent was eligible for review because the claims recited “an
`express financial component in the form of a subsidy” that was “central to
`the operation of the claimed invention”).
`Notwithstanding that the focus must be on the challenged claims,
`Petitioner also contends that the specification shows that the claimed
`transmitting step has a financial purpose. Pet. 10–11. For example,
`Petitioner argues that “the specification describes monitoring information
`related to each copyrighted file downloaded to a user device, such as
`
`12
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`purchase price, and reporting that information.” Pet. 6 (quoting Ex. 1001,
`30:40–52). The purpose of this tracking is to “provid[e] performing rights
`organizations or songwriters’ organizations with an accurate method for
`determining royalty payments to writers and performers of music.” Id. at 10
`(citing Ex. 1001, 3:33–35). According to Petitioner, “[t]he specification thus
`confirms that the claimed transmission of files subject to copyright is
`incidental or complimentary to . . . financial activity.” Id. at 11.
`Despite Petitioner’s citations to the specification, claim 8 does not
`require any financial activity as part of the data delivery method. Rather,
`claim 8 recites a method for delivering a data file to a user’s device using a
`specific type of modulation, OFDM. The discussion of Figure 5 above
`shows that important aspects of the disclosed and claimed transmission
`method highlight the OFDM scheme, without focusing on, let alone
`requiring, any financial activity. See supra Section 1.B. Although the
`specification describes providing a method of purchasing as part of
`downloading digital content, as Petitioner argues, it also implies that any
`such purchasing constitutes merely an optional part of the invention:
`The accessing of sound and/or image files by other
`electronic devices, such as home phones, computers, pagers,
`doorbells, alarms, palm pilots, watches, clocks, PDAs etc., for
`either allowing the consumer to browse, download, hear, view,
`and/or purchase sound recordings, image files, or associated
`items, or to use sound and/or image clips as alerts is also part of
`the invention and not limited to solely telephones. New
`electronic devices, whose independent purpose is to allow the
`user to browse, receive, store and play sound and image files,
`including clips, according to the present invention are also
`described.
`
`
`13
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`Ex. 1001, 3:11–21 (emphasis added). The specification also generally touts
`the invention’s ability to download content “without the need for hand wired
`plug-in devices or a computer connection to the Internet” as follows:
`Furthermore, the delivery of files including clips is not limited to
`web based applications. Unlike conventional methods which
`require computer plug-in devices for delivering and transferring
`digital music, the current invention may use a delivery method
`which allows the user to browse, download, and listen to or
`watch sound or image files without the need for hand wired plug-
`in devices or a computer connection to the Internet.
` Id. at 3:54–61.
`Petitioner contends that the fact that the files transmitted to the cell
`phone are subject to a copyright renders the ’870 patent CBM eligible. Pet.
`8. Specifically, Petitioner argues that “the underlying purpose of a copyright
`is to create financial incentives for the creation of original works.” Id.
`Petitioner also argues that dependent claims 10, 11, and 14 “recite tracking
`information described in the specification is being used to determine royalty
`payments.” Pet. 12–13. Petitioner’s showing is not sufficient, because “[a]ll
`patents, at some level, relate to potential sale of a good or service.” See
`Unwired Planet, 2016 WL 6832978, at *5. As Patent Owner argues, “[i]t is
`not enough that a sale has occurred or may occur, or even that the
`specification speculates such a potential sale might occur.” Prelim. Resp. 9
`(quoting Unwired Planet, 2016 WL 6832978, at *8). None of the
`challenged claims actually involve a sale or other financial activity.
`In summary, claims 8 and 10–14, viewed in light of the specification,
`does not require any financial activity, let alone such activity that would
`confer CBM patent status to the ’870 patent. Petitioner’s arguments based
`on the specification and disclaimed claims do not account for the thrust and
`
`14
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`holdings of Secure Axcess and Unwired Planet and other precedent
`collectively indicating a general requirement for treating disclaimed claims
`as never having existed for purposes related to jurisdiction, and the language
`of AIA § 18 and 37 C.F.R. § 42.207. Petitioner at best establishes that the
`existing challenged claims encompass methods that may include potential
`financial activity such as a sale. Based on the foregoing discussion,
`Petitioner fails to meet its burden of showing that the ’870 patent is eligible
`for the transitional covered business method patent review program.
`III. ORDER
`In consideration of the foregoing, it is hereby:
`ORDERED that pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 324(a), a covered business
`method patent review is not instituted as to any claim of the ’870 patent.
`
`
`15
`
`

`

`CBM2017-00002
`Patent 9,203,870 B2
`
`
`
`PETITIONER:
`
`Heidi L. Keefe
`Andrew C. Mace
`COOLEY LLP
`hkeefe@cooley.com
`amace@cooley.com
`
`
`
`PATENT OWNER:
`
`Ryan M. Schultz
`Andrew J. Kabat
`ROBINS KAPLAN LLP
`rschultz@robinskaplan.com
`akabat@robinskaplan.com
`
`16
`
`

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