`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`WACO DIVISION
`
`FLYPSI, INC., (D/B/A FLYP),
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`
`GOOGLE LLC,
`
`Defendant.
`
`
`
`CIVIL ACTION NO. 6:22-cv-00031-ADA
`
`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
`
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`
`DEFENDANT GOOGLE LLC’S OPPOSITION TO FLYPSI, INC.’S OPPOSED MOTION
`TO STRIKE DEFENDANT’S ANSWER TO SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR
`PATENT INFRINGEMENT OR TO DISMISS DEFENDANT’S INEQUITABLE
`CONDUCT DEFENSE
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 2 of 17
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`
`Page
`INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1
`FACTS ............................................................................................................................... 2
`LEGAL STANDARD ........................................................................................................ 3
`ARGUMENT ..................................................................................................................... 4
`A.
`Google pleaded inequitable conduct with sufficient particularity. ........................ 4
`1.
`Flyp does not dispute that Google sufficiently pleaded the “who”
`and “when” elements. ................................................................................ 5
`Google sufficiently pleaded the “how,” “what,” and “where”
`elements as well as materiality. ................................................................. 5
`Google sufficiently pleaded intent to deceive the PTO. ............................ 9
`3.
`Flyp’s motion to strike should be denied. ............................................................ 11
`B.
`In the alternative, Google should be granted leave to amend. ............................. 12
`C.
`CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 12
`
`2.
`
`I.
`II.
`III.
`IV.
`
`V.
`
`i
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 3 of 17
`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`
`Page(s)
`
`Cases
`
`1st Media, LLC v. Elec. Arts, Inc.,
`694 F.3d 1367 (Fed. Cir. 2012)................................................................................................10
`
`Applied Biokinetics LLC v. CVS Pharmacy, Inc.,
`No. 6:21-CV-555-ADA, 2022 WL 1192467 (W.D. Tex. Apr. 21, 2022) .................................7
`
`Data Scape, Ltd. v. Dell Technologies, Inc.,
`No. 1:19-cv-00605-ADA, 2019 WL 5275533 (W.D. Tex. June 17, 2019) .........................9, 10
`
`Eon Corp. IP Holdings, LLC v. T-Mobile USA, Inc.,
`No. 10-CV-00379, 2011 WL 13134896 (E.D. Tex. Dec. 13, 2011) ........................................10
`
`Exergen Corp. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,
`575 F.3d 1312 (Fed. Cir. 2009)........................................................................................ passim
`
`Flypsi, Inc. (d/b/a/ Flyp) v. Dialpad, Inc.,
`No. 6:21-cv-00642-ADA, 2022 WL 3593132 (W.D. Tex. Aug. 22, 2022) ..............................8
`
`Therasense, Inc. v. Becton, Dickinson & Co.,
`649 F.3d 1276 (Fed. Cir. 2011)..................................................................................................4
`
`TransWeb, LLC v. 3M Innovative Props. Co.,
`812 F.3d 1295 (Fed. Cir. 2016)............................................................................................9, 10
`
`Other Authorities
`
`37 C.F.R. §§ 1.56 .............................................................................................................................4
`
`Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b) ..........................................................................................................................3
`
`Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)....................................................................................................................2
`
`MPEP 2001.01 .................................................................................................................................4
`
`ii
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 4 of 17
`
`
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`
`
`The accused product in this case, Google Voice, was undisputedly in public use years
`
`before the asserted patents’ alleged priority date. Compare Dkt. 103 ¶¶ 17-18 (“Google Voice
`
`was launched in 2009”) with Ex. 1 at 3-4 (asserting July 17, 2013 priority date). In fact, the
`
`inventors
`
`118-1 at 5. The inventors further conducted
`
`. Dkt.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`,
`
` Dkt. 118-2 at 17, 20-22.
`
`the product was deliberately omitted from the prosecution of the asserted patents. But Plaintiff
`
`Flypsi, Inc. (“Flyp”) now seeks to prevent Defendant Google LLC (“Google”) from raising the
`
`defense and conducting further discovery into it.
`
`Flyp argues untimeliness and prejudice, Mot. at 5, but obscures a key fact: It has known
`
`about Google’s inequitable conduct defense for months. Google timely set forth, in detail, its
`
`inequitable conduct defense in its Final Invalidity Contentions in a section titled “Inequitable
`
`Conduct.” Ex. 2 at 78-80. The fact that Flyp has known Google’s inequitable conduct defense for
`
`months undermines its arguments on untimeliness and prejudice.
`
`Flyp’s Motion puts form over substance by focusing on the formal pleading of the
`
`inequitable conduct defense. But Flyp overlooks the critical fact that Flyp, itself, waited until the
`
`last day to amend pleadings to file a Second Amended Complaint, Dkt. 103, and Google’s
`
`motion to dismiss that Second Amended Complaint is still pending, Dkt. 108. Google only filed
`
`its Answer to Flyp’s Second Amended Complaint before a ruling on the pending motion to
`
`dismiss because Flyp otherwise refused to allow discovery into Google’s inequitable conduct
`
`1
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 5 of 17
`
`
`
`defense. Specifically, Flyp has refused to allow the depositions of the patent prosecutors, even
`
`though fact discovery closes in about a month and a half. See Ex. 3. Flyp’s Motion should be
`
`denied.
`
`II.
`
`FACTS
`
`On January 10, 2022, Plaintiff filed its original complaint against Google alleging
`
`infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 9,667,770 (the “’770 Patent”); 10,051,105 (the “’105 Patent”);
`
`10,334,094 (the “’094 Patent”); 11,012,554 (the “’554 Patent”); and 11,218,585 (the “’585
`
`Patent”) (collectively, “the Asserted Patents”). Dkt. 1. Specifically, Plaintiff accused Google
`
`Voice of infringing the Asserted Patents. See Dkt. 1 ¶¶ 30, 42, 54, 69, and 83.
`
`Plaintiff asserts a priority date of July 17, 2013. Ex. 1 at 3-4. Plaintiff admits that Google
`
`Voice was launched in 2009, about four years before its priority date. See Dkt. 103 ¶¶ 17-18.
`
`On April 11, 2022, Google filed its first motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s claims of indirect
`
`and willful infringement under Rule 12(b)(6). Dkt. 24. On August 22, 2022, the Court granted-
`
`in-part and denied-in-part Google’s motion. Dkt. 48. On September 6, 2022, Plaintiff filed a First
`
`Amended Complaint. Dkt. 50. On September 20, 2022, Google filed its Answer to Plaintiff’s
`
`First Amended Complaint. Dkt. 55.
`
`On March 6, 2023, the Court entered an amended scheduling order setting March 21,
`
`2023 as the deadline to serve Final Infringement and Invalidity Contentions, and March 22, 2023
`
`as the deadline to amend pleadings. See Dkt. 102. See also Dkts. 107, 112. On March 21, 2023,
`
`Google served its Final Invalidity Contentions, which included a section titled “Inequitable
`
`Conduct” and set forth Google’s inequitable conduct defense in detail. Ex. 2 at 78-80. On March
`
`22, 2023, Plaintiff filed its Second Amended Complaint. Dkt. 103. On April 12, 2023, Google
`
`2
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 6 of 17
`
`
`
`filed its motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s pre-suit indirect and willful infringement claims, which is
`
`currently pending before the Court. Dkt. 108.
`
`On March 29, 2023, Google served a subpoena on patent prosecution attorney Stuart
`
`West. Exs. 4 and 5. On May 2, 2023, counsel for Flyp and Mr. West declared their intent to file a
`
`motion to quash this subpoena as calling for attorney-client privileged information and because
`
`the subpoena was “an undue burden on Mr. West by, among other things, seeking information
`
`related to a defense of inequitable conduct that Google has not pleaded.” Ex. 3. On May 8, 2023,
`
`to avoid unnecessary motion practice, Google agreed to “withdraw the subpoena to Mr. West
`
`without prejudice to re-serving it after Google pleads its inequitable conduct defense.” Id. On
`
`June 5, 2023, Google filed its Answer to Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint. Dkt. 118.
`
`III. LEGAL STANDARD
`
`“‘[I]nequitable conduct, while a broader concept than fraud, must be pled with
`
`particularity’ under Rule 9(b).” Exergen Corp. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 575 F.3d 1312, 1326
`
`(Fed. Cir. 2009) (citation omitted). “Whether inequitable conduct has been pleaded with
`
`particularity under Rule 9(b) is a question governed by Federal Circuit law.” Id. at 1318. To
`
`plead inequitable conduct, “the pleading must identify the specific who, what, when, where, and
`
`how of the material misrepresentation or omission committed before the PTO.” Id. at 1328. At
`
`the pleading stage the proponent of the inequitable conduct theory need only plead facts
`
`supporting a reasonable inference that a specific individual knew of the misrepresentation and
`
`had the specific intent to deceive the PTO. Id. at 1328-29. “A reasonable inference is one that is
`
`plausible and that flows logically from the facts alleged . . . .” Id. at 1329 n.5.
`
`Individuals with a duty to disclose information material to patentability include “[e]ach
`
`inventor named in the application” and “[e]ach attorney or agent who prepares or prosecutes the
`
`3
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 7 of 17
`
`
`
`application.” 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.56. See also MPEP 2001.01. “[T]he materiality required to establish
`
`inequitable conduct is but-for materiality. When an applicant fails to disclose prior art to the
`
`PTO, that prior art is but-for material if the PTO would not have allowed a claim had it been
`
`aware of the undisclosed prior art.” Therasense, Inc. v. Becton, Dickinson & Co., 649 F.3d 1276,
`
`1291 (Fed. Cir. 2011).
`
`IV. ARGUMENT
`
`A.
`
`Google pleaded inequitable conduct with sufficient particularity.
`
`The accused product, Google Voice, was undisputedly in public use since before the
`
`alleged July 17, 2013 priority date of the Asserted Patents. Compare Dkt. 103 ¶¶ 17-18 (“Google
`
`Voice was launched in 2009”) with Ex. 1 at 3-4 (asserting July 17, 2013 priority date).1 Plaintiff
`
`further admits that:
`
`118-1 at 5.
`
`25 ¶ 38.
`
`
`
`
`
` Dkt.
`
`
`
`
`
` See Dkt. 118 at 23 ¶ 20 to
`
`Flyp argues that Google has failed to address the “how,” “what,” and “where” elements
`
`under Exergen, but does not dispute that Google had sufficiently pleaded the “who” and “when”
`
`
`1 Google has repeatedly demanded that Flyp articulate what exactly it contends has changed from
`the prior art version of Google Voice (i.e., the version of Google Voice in public use before the
`alleged July 17, 2013 priority date) and how that change is related to specific claim limitations.
`Flyp has failed to articulate any difference pertinent to the asserted claims.
`
`4
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 8 of 17
`
`
`
`elements. Mot. at 6-9. But Flyp’s arguments are without merit: Google has sufficiently pleaded
`
`inequitable conduct under the Exergen standard.
`
`1.
`
`Flyp does not dispute that Google sufficiently pleaded the “who” and
`“when” elements.
`Flyp does not dispute that Google has sufficiently pleaded the “who” element. Google
`
`identified the inventors Peter Rinfret, Ivan Zhidov, and Sunir Kochhar, as well as the patent
`
`prosecutors. See Dkt. 118 at 22 ¶ 13.
`
`Flyp does not dispute that Google has sufficiently pleaded the “when” element.
`
` See Dkt. 118 at 22 ¶¶ 15-16.
`
` See id. at 23 ¶ 20 to 25 ¶ 38.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`¶¶ 41-43.
`
` See id. at 26
`
`
`
` See id. at 22 ¶ 15 to 30 ¶ 65.
`
`2.
`
`Google sufficiently pleaded the “how,” “what,” and “where” elements
`as well as materiality.
`Flyp’s arguments about “what” is the omission loses sight of the forest for the trees. This
`
`is not a case where the inventors were familiar with some lengthy prior art reference and failed to
`
`disclose it. Rather, this is a case where the inventors were aware of the very product accused
`
`here, including by
`
`, and failed to timely disclose it to the PTO as potential prior art.
`
`
`
`
`
`. See Dkt. 118 at 22 ¶ 15-16.
`
`
`
`5
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 9 of 17
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 9 of 17
`
`ee 250520-71
`=
`
`
`
`1d 923 §RRs
`22<2
`2 215 32.
`
`explained in Google’s Final Invalidity Contentions:
`
` , Flyp failed
`
`to disclose Google Voice as potential priorart.
`
`Ex. 2 at 80. Yet, the inventors did not timely disclose any aspect of Google Voice to the PTO.
`
`Flyp argues for the need fora limitation-by-limitation analysis, apparently contesting
`
`materiality. As explained in Google’s Final Invalidity Contentions:
`
`While Google does not agree with all of Flyp’s interpretations of the claim limitations of
`the Asserted Patents, if Google Voice meets the limitations of any claim of the Asserted
`Patents, the same Google Voice system that predates the asserted priority date invalidates
`that claim. As a result, Flyp cannot contest materiality.
`Ex. 2 at 78-80. But even ifFlyp could contest materiality, the materiality is abundantly clear. |
`
`See, e.g., Mot. at 1 (“solutions that provide for maintaining caller identification integrity when
`
`calls originate from a secondary telephone number”); Dkt. 103 § 11 (“there wasa particular need
`
`for a device that would maintain calleridentification (‘caller ID’) and properly identify a call as
`
`originating from the secondary phone numberofthe caller with multiple numbers, rather than a
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 10 of 17
`
`
`
`conference line number or a randomly generated number.”); ¶ 12 (“Flyp’s patented systems and
`
`methods enable a particular way for mobile-phone users to create and own multiple phone
`
`numbers on a single mobile device while maintaining the integrity of caller-identification
`
`functions.”); ¶ 13 (“In these [previous] solutions, caller ID was not maintained, and the recipient
`
`caller ID would appear to the one receiving the call as a conference line number or randomly
`
`generated number—rather than properly identifying the call as originating from the secondary
`
`phone number of the caller with multiple numbers.” (emphasis added)).
`
`Although Flyp cites Applied Biokinetics LLC v. CVS Pharmacy, Inc., No. 6:21-CV-555-
`
`ADA, 2022 WL 1192467 (W.D. Tex. Apr. 21, 2022), it is unavailing. In Applied Biokinetics, the
`
`defendant argued: “Mr. Bushby was aware of the materiality of prior art kinesiology tape like
`
`Kinesio Tex® tape and its relevant properties.” Id. at *2. The Court explained that: “The Court
`
`can discern from the Answer and Amended Answer a theory that Mr. Bushby withheld
`
`something related to stretch properties of prior art tape, but the Answer and Amended Answer do
`
`not make clear ‘what’ this something is.” Id. The Court concluded that defendant “almost”
`
`adequately pleaded the elements required by Exergen, and granted plaintiff’s motion to dismiss
`
`while granting defendant leave to amend. Id. This case is distinguishable. Flyp did not fail to
`
`timely disclose some properties of the prior art Google Voice, but rather the Google Voice prior
`
`art itself. Further, the materiality of Google Voice cannot reasonably be disputed given that it is
`
`the very accused product. Finally, Google included detailed allegations in its inequitable conduct
`
`defense, including Flyp’s failure to disclose Google Voice technology and feature set,
`
`
`
`
`
` See
`
`Dkt. 118 at 23 ¶ 25 to 25 ¶ 38.
`
`7
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 11 of 17
`
`
`
`Flypsi, Inc. (d/b/a/ Flyp) v. Dialpad, Inc., No. 6:21-cv-00642-ADA, 2022 WL 3593132
`
`(W.D. Tex. Aug. 22, 2022) (“Dialpad”) is likewise distinguishable. In Dialpad, the defendant’s
`
`theory of inequitable conduct was predicated on Flyp’s disclosure of prior art references to the
`
`PTO without the corresponding invalidity claim charts. But that is not Google’s theory here.
`
`Rather, Google’s inequitable conduct theory is based on the fact that
`
`
`
`
`
`. Yet the inventors failed to timely disclose Google Voice to the PTO. See Dkt. 118 at 22
`
`¶ 15-16; 23 ¶ 20 to 25 ¶ 38.
`
`Google does not concede that a limitation-by-limitation analysis is required as a matter of
`
`law where, as here, the prior art forming the basis of Google’s inequitable conduct defense is the
`
`product now accused. That said, to the extent the Court holds that such a limitation-by-limitation
`
`analysis is required as a matter of law under Exergen, it can clearly be met.
`
`
`
`
`
` Dkt. 118 at 24 ¶ 32. This information would be material to at least
`
`Claim 1 of the ’554 Patent:
`
`1. A method of providing telephone service, comprising:
`. . .
`[b] automatically transmitting information that indicates an access telephone number to
`the mobile device via a data channel;
`[c] automatically associating the telephone access number with a switch associated with
`the server;
`[d] receiving, at the switch associated with the server, an outgoing call from the mobile
`device to the access telephone number via a second channel;
`[e] receiving, at the server, information from the switch indicating the outgoing call is
`being made to the access telephone number from the primary telephone number . . .
`
`
`
`8
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 12 of 17
`
`
`
`(emphasis added).2 The information would similarly be material to at least Claim 1 of the ’094
`
`and ’585 Patents.
`
`3.
`
`Google sufficiently pleaded intent to deceive the PTO.
`
`Flyp argues the legal insufficiency of “an allegation that Flyp knew about Google Voice
`
`from invalidity contentions in the Dialpad case, but ‘intentionally waited’ before disclosing
`
`Google Voice to the USPTO.” Mot. at 9. As a starting point, Flyp misapprehends Google’s legal
`
`theory, which is not predicated solely on the Dialpad invalidity contentions, but rather on the fact
`
`that
`
`
`
` but failed to timely disclose Google Voice to the PTO.
`
`See Dkt. 118 at 22 ¶ 15-16; 23 ¶ 20 to 25 ¶ 38.
`
`Further, defendants can plead circumstantial rather than direct evidence of specific intent.
`
`See TransWeb, LLC v. 3M Innovative Props. Co., 812 F.3d 1295, 1304 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (citing
`
`Therasense, 649 F.3d at 1290) (“A court ‘may infer intent from indirect and circumstantial
`
`evidence’ because ‘direct evidence of deceptive intent is rare.’”). And Google has pleaded more
`
`than adequate circumstantial evidence of specific intent to deceive the PTO. The inventors were
`
`not just vaguely aware of the Google Voice prior art, but had
`
`.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` Dkt. 118-1 at 5. As this Court explained in Data Scape,
`
`Ltd. v. Dell Technologies, Inc.:
`
`The Court is certainly aware that the Court should require more at trial to establish
`scienter than the mere “non-disclosure of a reference solely because that reference was
`
`
`2 Google does not concede that any number in the Google Voice system meets the term
`“telephone access number” or “access telephone number” in the Asserted Patents, and reserves
`all rights with respect to noninfringement.
`
`9
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 13 of 17
`
`
`
`known and material.” 1st Media, LLC v. Elec. Arts, Inc., 694 F.3d 1367, 1372-73 (Fed.
`Cir. 2012). But this case is at the pleading stage. See Eon Corp. IP Holdings, LLC v. T-
`Mobile USA, Inc., No. 10-CV-00379, 2011 WL 13134896, at *4 (E.D. Tex. Dec. 13,
`2011). This Court finds that the Defendants have more than adequately pleaded a claim
`of inequitable conduct.
`No. 1:19-cv-00605-ADA, 2019 WL 5275533, at *4 (W.D. Tex. June 17, 2019). Similar to Data
`
`Scape, Google anticipates additional scienter evidence from the deposition of the prosecutors,
`
`but this case is still at the pleading stage, and Google has adequately pleaded a claim of
`
`inequitable conduct such that discovery into inequitable conduct should be permitted.
`
`Flyp does not clearly challenge Google’s “intentionally waited” theory as a basis for
`
`inequitable conduct, but any such challenge would fail in view of recent Federal Circuit
`
`precedent. Mot. at 9. Specifically, in TransWeb, the Federal Circuit upheld an inequitable
`
`conduct finding where the named inventor and prosecutor were “very much aware” of the prior
`
`art, and strategically delayed for years before disclosing the reference at “the last possible
`
`moment.” 812 F.3d at 1306. TransWeb involved prior art filter materials that were handed out at
`
`a filtration industry exposition in 1997. Id. at 1300. The inventor of the asserted patents was
`
`“very much aware” of the prior art distributed at the expo. Id. at 1304. The patent prosecutor, Mr.
`
`Hanson, “waited several years between learning of the potential TransWeb prior art and
`
`informing the patent office.” Id. at 1306. Indeed, the prosecutor “waited until the last possible
`
`moment, when a notice of allowance had already been mailed, to submit the TransWeb material
`
`in a request for continued prosecution.” Id. The district court concluded that the named inventor
`
`and prosecutor “strategically delayed in disclosing the TransWeb prior art and then intentionally
`
`made an inaccurate disclosure of that material.” Id. On appeal, the Federal Circuit affirmed the
`
`district court’s finding of inequitable conduct. Id. As in TransWeb, the inventors here were
`
`likewise very much aware of the Google Voice prior art, having
`
`
`
`
`
`10
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 14 of 17
`
`. Despite the fact that
`
`
`
`
`
`, the
`
`inventors did not disclose Google Voice to the PTO when they filed the parent application of the
`
`patents-in-suit on July 17, 2013. Nor did the inventors disclose Google Voice to the PTO at any
`
`point during the prosecution of the Asserted Patents until November 9, 2021, after four of five of
`
`the Asserted Patents had issued and a Notice of Allowance had issued for the fifth patent. Dkt.
`
`118 at 27 ¶ 51 to 28 ¶ 58.
`
`B.
`
`Flyp’s motion to strike should be denied.
`
`Google’s inequitable conduct defense is neither untimely nor prejudicial to Flyp. On
`
`March 21, 2023, Google timely served its Final Invalidity Contentions, which included a section
`
`entitled “Inequitable Conduct” setting forth the facts and law of Google’s defense in detail. Ex. 2
`
`at 78-80. Flyp made no attempt to strike Google’s Final Invalidity Contentions as untimely, and
`
`in fact, Flyp fails to even mention the fact that it has been on notice of Google’s inequitable
`
`conduct defense since March 21, 2023 in its Motion.
`
`The issue of timeliness is further complicated by the fact that the pleadings are not yet
`
`closed. Flyp waited until the last day to amend pleadings to file its Second Amended Complaint,
`
`Dkt. 103, and Google’s motion to dismiss that Second Amended Complaint is currently pending
`
`before the Court, Dkt. 108. Therefore, Google’s answer to the Second Amended Complaint has
`
`not yet come due; Google merely filed it to address Flyp’s objections to Google’s proposed
`
`deposition of Flyp’s patent prosecution counsel.
`
`Flyp’s prejudice argument boils down to the argument that because some discovery has
`
`been conducted in this case, allowing the inequitable conduct defense would be prejudicial. Mot.
`
`11
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 15 of 17
`
`
`
`at 6. This, of course, makes no sense, and would prevent an inequitable conduct defense in any
`
`case where, as here, the evidence of inequitable conduct is discovered during the litigation.
`
`Indeed, Flyp’s discovery-based prejudice argument is particularly curious given that Flyp
`
`has refused to allow further discovery into Google’s inequitable conduct defense–specifically,
`
`Flyp is refusing to allow the depositions of the prosecutors. See Ex. 3. It is not clear how Flyp
`
`can both refuse to allow discovery into inequitable conduct and also be prejudiced by such
`
`discovery.
`
`C.
`
`In the alternative, Google should be granted leave to amend.
`
`If the Court is inclined to grant Flyp’s Motion, it should grant Google leave to amend to
`
`add the inequitable conduct defense. Flyp has not demonstrated prejudice, which it concedes is
`
`the “touchstone” of the analysis of leave to amend. Mot. at 5. Thus, if the Court is inclined to
`
`take the severe measure of granting Flyp’s Motion, the Court should grant Google leave to
`
`amend to permit Google to take discovery into this defense that Flyp has refused to allow. See
`
`also IV.A.2.
`
`V. CONCLUSION
`
`For the foregoing reasons, Flyp’s Motion should be denied.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`12
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 16 of 17
`
`DATED: July 5, 2023
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Respectfully Submitted,
`
`/s/ Robert W. Unikel
`Robert W. Unikel (Pro Hac Vice)
`robertunikel@paulhastings.com
`John A. Cotiguala (Pro Hac Vice)
`johncotiguala@paulhastings.com
`Daniel J. Blake (Pro Hac Vice)
`danielblake@paulhastings.com
`Grayson S. Cornwell (Pro Hac Vice)
`graysoncornwell@paulhastings.com
`PAUL HASTINGS LLP
`71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 4500
`Chicago, IL 60606
`Telephone: (312) 499-6000
`Facsimile: (312) 499-6100
`
`Robert R. Laurenzi (Pro Hac Vice)
`robertlaurenzi@paulhastings.com
`PAUL HASTINGS LLP
`200 Park Avenue
`New York, NY 10166
`Telephone: (212) 318-6000
`Facsimile: (212) 319-4090
`
`Elizabeth Brann (Pro Hac Vice)
`elizabethbrann@paulhastings.com
`PAUL HASTINGS LLP
`4747 Executive Drive, 12th Floor
`San Diego, CA 92121
`Telephone: (858) 458-3000
`Facsimile: (858) 458-3005
`
`Joshua Yin (Pro Hac Vice)
`joshuayin@paulhastings.com
`David M. Fox (Pro Hac Vice)
`davidfox@paulhastings.com
`PAUL HASTINGS LLP
`1117 S. California Avenue
`Palo Alto, CA 94304
`Telephone: (650) 320-1800
`Facsimile: (650) 320-1900
`
`Paige Arnette Amstutz
`State Bar No.: 00796136
`pamstutz@scottdoug.com
`
`13
`
`
`
`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 124 Filed 07/10/23 Page 17 of 17
`
`
`
`SCOTT, DOUGLASS & MCCONNICO, LLP
`303 Colorado Street, Suite 2400
`Austin, TX 78701
`Telephone: (512) 495-6300
`Facsimile: (512) 495-6399
`
`Attorneys for Defendant Google LLC
`
`
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`I hereby certify that on the 5th day of July, 2023, a true and correct copy of the foregoing
`
`document was filed electronically with the Clerk of Court using the CM/ECF system. As of this
`
`date, all counsel of record have consented to electronic service and are being served with a copy
`
`of this document through the Court’s CM/ECF system and by email.
`
`/s/ Robert W. Unikel
`Robert W. Unikel
`
`
`
`14
`
`