throbber
Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 70 Filed 11/10/22 Page 1 of 8
`
`
`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
`










`
`
`
`
`
`REPLY IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANT GOOGLE LLC’S
`OPPOSED MOTION TO TRANSFER
`
`PUBLIC VERSION
`
`

`

`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 70 Filed 11/10/22 Page 2 of 8
`
`
`Flyp cannot meaningfully dispute that the material witnesses and evidence in this case are
`
`concentrated in the NDCA, not this district. Instead, Flyp points to a number of individuals in
`
`districts surrounding this one, without providing any credible explanation as to how these
`
`individuals might have relevant knowledge. The convenience of these disconnected individuals is
`
`immaterial to the transfer inquiry, which focuses on the balance of convenience for likely witnesses
`
`and likely sources of proof, not the mere counting of bodies and offices in various locations.
`
`A.
`
`The Private Interests Strongly Favor Transfer
`
`The Relative Ease of Access to Sources of Proof Favors Transfer. As this Court is aware,
`
`the locations of document custodians and where documents are created and maintained must be
`
`considered in the transfer analysis. LoganTree v. Apple Inc., No. 6:21-cv-00397-ADA, 2022 WL
`
`1491097, at *2 (W.D. Tex. May 11, 2022). It is indisputable that most evidence in this case will
`
`come from Google as the “accused infringer.” In re Google, No. 2021-171, 2021 WL 4592280, at
`
`*6 (Fed. Cir. Oct. 6, 2021). Google’s custodians in NDCA, not this district, created and maintained
`
`documents likely relevant to this case. Mot. at 6–7. And, Flyp ignores that Google identified
`
`. Dkt. 42-2 ¶ 8. Flyp further fails to rebut
`
`the significance of relevant evidence held in NDCA by third-parties
`
` (Mot. at 7, Dkt. 42-2
`
`¶ 8), RingCentral, and Cisco (Mot. at 9, Dkt. 43 ¶¶ 28–36).
`
`In fact, Flyp does not identify any sources of proof within WDTX, and instead points to its
`
`documents in NDTX. Opp. at 8–9. But the Federal Circuit “has made clear that under this very
`
`same fact pattern, this factor weighs in favor of transfer.” Motion Offense v. Google LLC, No.
`
`6:21-cv-00514-ADA, 2022 WL 5027730, at *7 (W.D. Tex. Oct. 4, 2022) (“Plaintiff’s evidence in
`
`Texas lies beyond [] WDTX, as is the case here for Motion Offense’s evidence in Longview and
`
`-1-
`
`PUBLIC VERSION
`
`

`

`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 70 Filed 11/10/22 Page 3 of 8
`
`
`Frisco.”).1 This factor thus favors transfer.
`
`The Cost of Attendance for Willing Witnesses Favors Transfer. Google identified five
`
`willing witnesses with relevant, material knowledge in NDCA, and one much closer to NDCA in
`
`Seattle, Washington. Mot. at 3, 7. Flyp does not dispute these witnesses’ relevance and materiality.
`
`In contrast, Flyp identified just one relevant witness in WDTX,
`
`
`
`Flyp’s effort to discredit Google’s two declarants fails. Google’s declarants carefully and
`
`transparently established the basis of their knowledge, and personally interviewed the employees
`
`relied on in Google’s motion. Indeed, Google declarant
`
`
`
`declarant,
`
`,
`
`. Opp. Ex. 3 at 18. Google’s other
`
`
`
`
`
` Dkt. 42-1. The
`
` Declarations are thus credible, and the circumstances
`
`here are readily distinguishable from Monterey Research v. Broadcom, No. 6:21-cv-00542-ADA,
`
`2022 WL 526242 (W.D. Tex. Feb. 21, 2022). Id. at *6 (“Mr. Phillips did not meaningfully speak
`
`with anyone other than his paralegal Ms. Manke or Broadcom’s outside counsel . . . .”).
`
`Though Flyp’s Opposition attempts to cast an improperly wide relevance net, the cost of
`
`attendance still strongly favors transfer. VoIP-Pal.com v. Google LLC, No. 6:20-cv-00269-ADA,
`
`2022 WL 4546553, at *5 (W.D. Tex. Sept. 28, 2022). During venue discovery, Google produced
`
`a list of all employees reporting to
`
`,
`
`. Ex.
`
`42; see also Dkt. 42-2 ¶¶ 7–10 (detailing Google declarant’s
`
`The most recent count shows
`
` employees from Mr.
`
`’s team residing in NDCA, and
`
`
`1 Though Flyp suggests that Google may have some documents
`
`
`
`, any such
` are similarly irrelevant to the transfer analysis. Flyp does not suggest anything uniquely
`important or relevant about these possible
`.
`
`).
`
`
`
`-2-
`
`PUBLIC VERSION
`
`

`

`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 70 Filed 11/10/22 Page 4 of 8
`
`
`residing in WDTX. Id. Flyp has not shown that those
`
`—are “in similar positions” to the potential witnesses identified in the
`
`
`
`
`
` Declarations, who are actually responsible for the functionality at issue. LoganTree, 2022
`
`WL 1491097, at *7. Flyp certainly does not explain why Mr.
`
` is more important or relevant
`
`than the
`
` others on his team who reside in NDCA, or why Mr.
`
` is more material than
`
`his
`
` fellow team members in NDCA. Ex. 42. The same defect applies to Flyp’s identification of
`
`Google employees
`
`. Opp. at 5, 7. Google established that
`
`
`
`, not Ms.
`
`, are most knowledgeable about
`
` Opp. at 5; Mot. at 3, 7; Dkt. 42-1 ¶¶ 5–9.
`
`And Flyp cannot articulate why Mr.
`
`, might be more knowledgeable than the
`
` members of Mr.
`
`
`
`’s
`
`current team residing in NDCA. Ex. 42. Google has made “a far more compelling showing on this
`
`factor” than Flyp. In re Netflix, No. 2022-110, 2022 WL 167470, at *4 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 19, 2022).
`
`Importantly, the
`
` declaration relied upon by Flyp is deficient on its face.
`
`Though Flyp cites
`
` in asking the Court to weigh “
`
`
`
`” Opp. at 9 (citing
`
` Decl.), the declaration (and Flyp’s
`
`Opposition) simply
`
`
`
`. This failure effectively precludes the Court from weighing
`
`these
`
` individuals in the transfer analysis. See MemoryWeb v. Samsung Elecs., No. 6:21-cv-
`
`00411-ADA, 2022 WL 2195025, at *4 (W.D. Tex. June 17, 2022) (“[A] district court should assess
`
`the relevance and materiality of the information the witness may provide.” (citation omitted)).2
`
`
`2 The
` Declaration also appears factually inconsistent. Compare Dkt. 64-1 ¶ 27 (representing
`) with Opp. at 2 n.2 (stating
`
`); Ex. 43 (showing
`
`
`).
`
`-3-
`
`PUBLIC VERSION
`
`

`

`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 70 Filed 11/10/22 Page 5 of 8
`
`
`Compulsory Process Favors Transfer. Google identified 17 likely third-party witnesses
`
`who reside in, or within the subpoena power of, the NDCA. Mot. at 4. Flyp identified one former
`
`Google employee and one former Flyp employee in WDTX but, critically, did not state why their
`
`testimony was material to the case. Opp. at 10–11. In contrast, Google properly established that its
`
`identified prior art witnesses are relevant through detailed invalidity contention charts. Gentex
`
`Corp. v. Meta Platforms, No. 6:21-cv-00755-ADA, 2022 WL 2654986, at *5; Dkt. 43, Exs. 10, 13,
`
`19, 22, 26, 35. Flyp improperly seeks to discredit these prior artists by citing outdated precedent
`
`from Parus. See In re Google, No. 2021-170, 2021 WL 4427899, at *1, 6–7 (Fed. Cir. Sep. 27,
`
`2021) (finding weight should be given to prior art witnesses). Additionally, transfer will permit
`
`the compelled testimony of Flyp’s patent attorney Stuart West, Mot. at 2, and potentially
`
`knowledgeable employees at RingCentral and Cisco, Mot. at 4.
`
`Practical Problems Are Neutral. Flyp cites four cases to argue that Google’s motion to
`
`transfer was untimely. The cases are distinguishable,3 and Flyp’s argument is unconvincing.
`
`Gentex, 2022 WL 2654986, at *9. Google filed its motion “within the deadlines allowed by the
`
`Court’s Order Governing Proceedings.” Id. The Court should also disregard any judicial economy
`
`considerations credited to the Dialpad litigation, which would not exist “but for” Flyp’s deliberate
`
`and strategic sequencing of events. Van Dusen v. Barrack, 376 U.S. 612, 624 (1964). Because
`
`there is no “similar litigation pending,” Stewart Org., Inc. v. Ricoh Corp., 487 U.S. 22, 34 (1988)
`
`(Scalia, J., dissenting), and there is no chance for overlap in “discovery, evidence, proceedings,
`
`and trial,” In re Samsung Elecs., 2 F.4th 1371, 1380 (Fed. Cir. 2021), this factor is neutral.
`
`
`3 Two of the cases (N5 Techs. and TQP Dev.) did not even consider defendant’s filing date. In
`Godo Kaisha, defendant filed its motion “just one week before the deadline for the substantial
`completion of document production.” Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 v. Broadcom, No. 2:16-cv-00134-
`JRG, 2017 WL 750290, at *7–9 (E.D. Tex. Feb. 27, 2017). In WSOU, the Court already held a
`Markman hearing, yet still found this factor neutral despite a seven-month delay. WSOU Invs. v.
`Arista Networks, No. 6:20-cv-01083-ADA, 2021 WL 6015526, at *5 (W.D. Tex. Nov. 5, 2021).
`
`-4-
`
`PUBLIC VERSION
`
`

`

`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 70 Filed 11/10/22 Page 6 of 8
`
`
`B.
`
`The Public Interest Factors Favor Transfer
`
`Court Congestion Is Neutral. Transfer is warranted under this factor when litigation is
`
`filed in a “congested center” rather than “being handled at its origin.” Mot. at 12. Flyp ignores this
`
`doctrinal undercurrent, and instead parrots time-to-trial statistics. Opp. at 13. But “[t]he real issue
`
`is . . . whether a trial may be speedier in another court because of its less crowded docket,” not
`
`potentially in spite of it. In re Adobe, 823 F. App’x 929, 932 (Fed. Cir. 2020) (citation omitted).
`
`Google respectfully submits that the Court should hold this factor neutral for the same reasons it
`
`did in LBT IP II v. Uber, No. 6:21-cv-1210-ADA, 2022 WL 2541355 (W.D. Tex. July 6, 2022).
`
`Local Interests Favor Transfer. Flyp frames this action as a “Texas-based dispute between
`
`two companies that proudly call Texas home.” Opp. at 14. But Flyp does not dispute that the
`
`“events that gave rise to this suit” all took place in NDCA. In re Volkswagen of Am., 545 F.3d 304,
`
`318 (5th Cir. 2008); In re Apple, 979 F.3d 1332, 1345 (Fed. Cir. 2020). Although Google has
`
`offices in WDTX, Google’s interest in NDCA far outweighs any interest in this district.
`
`
`
`Decl. ¶ 2 (
`
` of Google’s workforce in NDCA compared to
`
` of Google’s workforce in
`
`WDTX); Flexiworld Techs. v. Amazon, No. 6:20-cv-00553-ADA, Dkt. 101 at 18 (W.D. Tex. Aug.
`
`2, 2021). Finally, Flyp emphasizes its presence within 100 miles of the Waco Courthouse, but its
`
`argument contradicts precedent from both the Fifth and Federal Circuits focusing on the presence
`
`within the transferor and transferee forums, not within 100 miles of the relevant courthouses. In re
`
`Volkswagen of Am., 545 F.3d at 317–18 (drawing distinction between Dallas, TX and Marshall,
`
`TX); In re Apple, 2022 WL 1676500, at *2. This factor favors transfer.
`
`C.
`
`Conclusion
`
`For the reasons stated herein and in Google’s opening brief, as well as the supporting
`
`evidence, Google respectfully requests transfer to the NDCA pursuant to § 1404.
`
`-5-
`
`PUBLIC VERSION
`
`

`

`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 70 Filed 11/10/22 Page 7 of 8
`
`
`DATED: November 4, 2022
`
`
`
`
`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
`
`-6-
`
`PUBLIC VERSION
`
`

`

`Case 6:22-cv-00031-ADA Document 70 Filed 11/10/22 Page 8 of 8
`
`
`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 4th day of November, 2022, 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
`
`
`
`-7-
`
`PUBLIC VERSION
`
`

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