`Tel: 571-272-7822
`
`
`
`Paper 12
`Entered: February 7, 2018
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`AQ TEXTILES, LLC,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`ARUN AGARWAL,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`Case PGR2017-00041
`Patent 9,481,950 B2
`____________
`
`
`Before BART A. GERSTENBLITH, CARL M. DEFRANCO,
`KEVIN W. CHERRY, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`DEFRANCO, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`
`
`SCHEDULING ORDER
`This Order sets a schedule for trial, including due dates for the parties
`
`to take action upon institution of the trial. See Appendix. The trial will be
`administered in a just, speedy, and inexpensive manner such that pendency
`before the Board is no more than one year after institution. 37 C.F.R.
`§§ 42.1(b) and 42.200(c).
`
`
`
`
`PGR2017-00041
`Patent 9,481,950 B2
`
`
`A. INITIAL CONFERENCE
`An initial conference call will be scheduled only upon request by
`either party within thirty (30) days after entry of this Order. To request a
`conference call, the parties should consult with each other and submit a list
`of proposed dates and times for the call. If an initial conference call is
`scheduled, the parties are directed to the Office Patent Trial Practice Guide,
`77 Fed. Reg. 48,756, 48,765–66 (Aug. 14, 2012) (“Trial Practice Guide”),
`for guidance in preparing for the call, and should be prepared to discuss any
`proposed changes to the schedule and any motions the parties anticipate
`filing during the trial.
`B. MEET AND CONFER REQUIREMENT
`The parties are encouraged to engage in meaningful discussions
`before seeking authorization under 37 C.F.R. § 42.20(b) to file a motion for
`relief with the Board. At a minimum, before requesting authorization, the
`parties shall confer with each other in a good-faith effort to resolve the issue
`for which relief is to be sought. Only if the parties cannot resolve the issue
`on their own may a party request a conference call with the Board in order to
`seek authorization to move for relief. In any request for a conference call
`with the Board, the requesting party shall: (1) certify that it has in good-
`faith conferred (or attempted to confer, if the request is a time-sensitive
`emergency) with the other party in an effort to resolve the issue; (2) identify
`with specificity, but without argument, the issue for which agreement has
`not been reached; (3) state the precise relief to be sought; and (4) propose
`specific dates and times at which both parties are available for the
`conference call.
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`PGR2017-00041
`Patent 9,481,950 B2
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`C. 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 filed
`promptly with the Board. 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 D below).
`
`1. DUE DATE 1
`
`The patent owner may file—
`
`a. A response to the petition (37 C.F.R. § 42.220), and
`
`b. A motion to amend the patent (37 C.F.R. § 42.221).
`
`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.
`DUE DATE 2
`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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`PGR2017-00041
`Patent 9,481,950 B2
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`DUE DATE 3
`3.
`The patent owner must file any reply to the petitioner’s opposition to
`
`patent owner’s motion to amend by DUE DATE 3.
`DUE DATE 4
`4.
`
`a. Each party must file any motion for an observation on the cross-
`examination testimony of a reply witness (see section E, below) 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.
`DUE DATE 5
`5.
`
`a. Each party must file any response to an observation on cross-
`examination testimony by DUE DATE 5.
`
`b. Each party must file any opposition to a motion to exclude evidence
`by DUE DATE 5.
`DUE DATE 6
`6.
`
`Each party must file any reply for a motion to exclude evidence by
`DUE DATE 6.
`DUE DATE 7
`7.
`
`If requested by either party, an oral hearing will be held on
`DUE DATE 7.
`
`
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`PGR2017-00041
`Patent 9,481,950 B2
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`D. CROSS-EXAMINATION
`Except as the parties might otherwise agree, for each due date—
`
`1. Cross-examination begins after any supplemental evidence is due.
`
`37 C.F.R. § 42.53(d)(2).
`
`2. Cross-examination ends no later than a week before the filing date
`for any paper in which the cross-examination testimony is expected to be
`used. Id.
`The parties are reminded that the Testimony Guidelines
`
`appended to the Trial Practice Guide, 77 Fed. Reg. at 48,772 (App. D), apply
`to this proceeding. Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.12, the Board may impose an
`appropriate sanction on any party who fails to adhere to the Testimony
`Guidelines, including reasonable expenses and attorney fees incurred by a
`party affected by another party’s misconduct.
`E. 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 because no further substantive
`paper is permitted after the reply. See Trial Practice Guide, 77 Fed. Reg. at
`48,768. 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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`PGR2017-00041
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`APPENDIX
`
`INITIAL CONFERENCE CALL ............................................. Upon Request
`
`DUE DATE 1 .............................................................................. May 9, 2018
`Patent owner’s response to the petition
`Patent owner’s motion to amend the patent
`
`DUE DATE 2 .......................................................................... August 9, 2018
`Petitioner’s reply to patent owner’s response to petition
`Petitioner’s opposition to motion to amend
`
`DUE DATE 3 ..................................................................... September 7, 2018
`Patent owner’s reply to petitioner’s opposition to motion to amend
`
`DUE DATE 4 .................................................................. September 28, 2018
`Motion for observation regarding cross-examination of reply witness
`Motion to exclude evidence
`Request for oral argument
`
`DUE DATE 5 ...................................................................... October 12, 2018
`Response to observation
`Opposition to motion to exclude
`
`DUE DATE 6 ...................................................................... October 19, 2018
`Reply to opposition to motion to exclude
`
`DUE DATE 7 .................................................................... November 7, 2018
`Oral argument (if requested)
`
`
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`6
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`PGR2017-00041
`Patent 9,481,950 B2
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`
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`PETITIONER:
`James L. Lester
`Jason T. Condrasky
`MACCORD MASON PLLC
`jlester@maccordmason.com
`jcondrasky@maccordmason.com
`
`
`PATENT OWNER:
`Michelle W. Skinner
`EDWARDS MAXSON MAGO & MACAULAY, LLP
`mskinner@em3law.com
`
`
`
`
`
`
`7
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