`571-272-7822
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` Paper 9
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`Entered: March 11, 2015
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`BLUE ORIGIN LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`Case IPR2014-01376
`Patent 8,678,321 B2
`____________
`
`
`
`Before KEN B. BARRETT, HYUN J. JUNG, and CARL M. DEFRANCO,
`Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`DEFRANCO, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`
`
`
`SCHEDULING ORDER
`
`
`
`
`IPR2014-01376
`Patent 8,678,321 B2
`
`This Order sets a schedule for trial, including due dates for the parties
`
`to take action in this trial. See Appendix. The trial will be administered
`such that pendency before the Board is no more than one year after
`institution. 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(c).
`A. INITIAL
`CONFERENCE CALL
`
`The Appendix does not specify a date for the initial conference call.
`An initial conference call will occur upon request from either party. If a
`conference call is requested, the parties are directed to the Office Patent
`Trial Practice Guide, 77 Fed. Reg. 48,756, 48,765-66 (Aug. 14, 2012) for
`guidance in preparing for the conference call, and should be prepared to
`discuss any proposed changes to this Scheduling Order and any motions the
`parties anticipate filing during the trial.
`B. DUE DATES
`
`The Appendix specifies due dates for the parties to take action in this
`trial. The parties may stipulate to different dates for DUE DATES 1 through
`5 (earlier or later, but no later than DUE DATE 6). A notice of any
`stipulation, specifically identifying the changed due dates, must be promptly
`filed. The parties may not stipulate to an extension of DUE DATES 6 and 7.
`
`In stipulating to different times, the parties should consider the effect
`of the stipulation on times to object to evidence (37 C.F.R. § 42.64(b)(1)), to
`supplement evidence (37 C.F.R. § 42.64(b)(2)), to conduct
`cross-examination (37 C.F.R. § 42.53(d)(2)), and to draft papers depending
`on the evidence and cross-examination testimony (see section C).
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`2
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`IPR2014-01376
`Patent 8,678,321 B2
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`The parties are reminded that the Testimony Guidelines appended to
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`the Office Patent Trial Practice Guide, 77 Fed. Reg. 48,756, 48,768 (Aug.
`14, 2012) (Appendix D), apply to this trial. The Board may impose an
`appropriate sanction for failure to adhere to the Testimony Guidelines.
`37 C.F.R. § 42.12. For example, reasonable expenses and attorneys’ fees
`incurred by any party may be levied on a person who impedes, delays, or
`frustrates the fair examination of a witness.
`
`1. DUE DATE 1
`
`The patent owner may file—
`
`a. A response to the petition (37 C.F.R. § 42.120), and
`
`b. A motion to amend the patent (37 C.F.R. § 42.121).
`
`The patent owner must file any such response or motion to amend by
`
`DUE DATE 1. If the patent owner elects not to file anything, the patent
`owner must arrange a conference call with the parties and the Board. The
`patent owner is cautioned that any arguments for patentability not raised and
`fully briefed in the response will be deemed waived.
`
`2. DUE DATE 2
`
`The petitioner must file any reply to the patent owner’s response and
`
`opposition to the motion to amend by DUE DATE 2.
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`3. DUE DATE 3
`
`The patent owner must file any reply to the petitioner’s opposition to
`
`patent owner’s motion to amend by DUE DATE 3.
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`IPR2014-01376
`Patent 8,678,321 B2
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`4. DUE DATE 4
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`a. Each party must file any motion for an observation on the
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`cross-examination testimony of a reply witness (see section D) by DUE
`DATE 4.
`
`b. Each party must file any motion to exclude evidence (37 C.F.R
`§ 42.64(c)) and any request for oral argument (37 C.F.R. § 42.70(a)) by
`DUE DATE 4.
`
`5. DUE DATE 5
`
`a. Each party must file any response to an observation on
`
`cross-examination testimony by DUE DATE 5.
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`b. Each party must file any opposition to a motion to exclude
`evidence by DUE DATE 5.
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`6. DUE DATE 6
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`Each party must file any reply for a motion to exclude evidence by
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`DUE DATE 6.
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`
`
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`7. DUE DATE 7
`Oral argument (if requested by either party) is set for DUE DATE 7.
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`C. CROSS-EXAMINATION
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`Except as the parties might otherwise agree, for each due date—
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`1. Cross-examination begins after any supplemental evidence is due.
`37 C.F.R. § 42.53(d)(2).
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`IPR2014-01376
`Patent 8,678,321 B2
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`2. Cross-examination ends no later than a week before the filing date
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`for any paper in which the cross-examination testimony is expected to be
`used. Id.
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`D. MOTION FOR OBSERVATION ON CROSS-EXAMINATION
`
`A motion for observation on cross-examination provides the parties
`with a mechanism to draw the Board’s attention to relevant
`cross-examination testimony of a reply witness, since no further substantive
`paper is permitted after the reply. See Office Patent Trial Practice Guide,
`77 Fed. Reg. 48,756, 48,768 (Aug. 14, 2012). The observation must be a
`concise statement of the relevance of precisely identified testimony to a
`precisely identified argument or portion of an exhibit. Each observation
`should not exceed a single, short paragraph. The opposing party may
`respond to the observation. Any response must be equally concise and
`specific.
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`5
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`IPR2014-01376
`Patent 8,678,321 B2
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`
`APPENDIX
`
`
`INITIAL CONFERENCE CALL……….…..…..…..…..….... Upon Request
`DUE DATE 1………………………………………...…........... June 4, 2015
`
`Patent owner’s response to the petition
`
`
`Patent owner’s motion to amend the patent
`DUE DATE 2……………………………………………..September 3, 2015
`
`Petitioner’s reply to patent owner’s response to the petition
`
`
`Petitioner’s opposition to motion to amend
`
`DUE DATE 3………………………………….......………...October 1, 2015
`
`Patent owner’s reply to petitioner’s opposition to motion to amend
`DUE DATE 4………………………………….…………...October 22, 2015
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`Motion for observation regarding cross-examination of reply witness
`
`
`Motion to exclude evidence
`
`Request for oral argument
`DUE DATE 5…………………………………...……….. November 5, 2015
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`Response to observation
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`Opposition to motion to exclude
`DUE DATE 6…………………………………….……. .November 19, 2015
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`Reply to opposition to motion to exclude
`DUE DATE 7……………………………………….…….December 9, 2015
`
`Oral argument (if requested)
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`6
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`IPR2014-01376
`Patent 8,678,321 B2
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`
`FOR PETITIONER:
`
`Heidi L. Keefe
`C. Scott Talbot
`COOLEY LLP
`hkeefe@cooley.com
`stalbot@cooley.com
`zpatdcdocketing@cooley.com
`
`FOR PATENT OWNER:
`
`John M. Wechkin
`Ryan J. McBrayer
`PERKINS COIE LLP
`JWechkin@perkinscoie.com
`RMcBrayer@perkinscoie.com
`
`
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`7
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