We are pleased to announce that Sophos Ltd., a security software and hardware company, is now a Unified Patents member. Products and services provided by Sophos are designed to protect users, networks, and endpoints from cyberattacks, including malware, ransomware, phishing, and exploits. Sophos is joining 300+ other companies committed to deterring the assertion of bad patents by non-practicing entities (NPEs). In 2023, NPEs still accounted for 58% of all patent litigation, similar to its 5-year average. Unified is the only entity which deters invalid patent assertions and never pays NPEs.
SOTAT surveillance patent found invalid
On August 12, 2024, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) entered a final rejection of all the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 9,854,207, owned and asserted by SOTAT, LLC, an NPE. The ‘207 patent relates to a mobile surveillance system that connects to a mobile device and has been asserted against fifteen defendants, including Canary Connect, HeathCo, Wyze Labs, Adobe Systems, Vivint, and Resideo.
View district court litigations by SOTAT. Unified was represented by in-house counsel, Jordan Rossen and Michelle Aspen.
To view the reexamination request, visit Unified’s Portal: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/exparte/90019294
Fintiv challenged in Federal Circuit Amicus by Unified and Zero Motorcycles
On August 12, 2024, Unified Edge filed an amicus brief with the Federal Circuit addressing whether the USPTO's implementation of Fintiv as a precedential matter violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The brief explains why the USPTO has not only failed to follow the APA’s required rulemaking procedure but also has promulgated the Fintiv factors in the absence of any ambiguity under 35 U.S.C. §§ 314(a) and 315(b).
Unified Edge is part of the Unified Network and advocates for the right policies, focusing on researching, organizing, providing, and promoting data-backed studies and evidence to further regulatory, business, and policy goals. Unified Edge works to keep its members up to date and informed on ongoing policies, data, and the regulatory landscape in order to move the law forward in a just, reasoned, and data-backed way. Unified Edge is represented by Mark Davies, Amanda Woodall, and Yar Chaikovsky at White & Case, and by in-house counsel, Michelle Aspen and Jonathan Stroud. Download the amicus brief below.
Dolby HEVC/AV1 patent affirmed invalid in China
On July 31, 2024, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court (BIPC) confirmed that all claims of Chinese patent CN102256122 were invalid. The CN’122 patent is owned by Dolby International. The claims were initially found invalid by the China National Intellectual Property Administration, but Dolby appealed to the BIPC. CN102256122 was purportedly essential or related to patents purportedly essential to the Access Advance patent pool and SISVEL’s AV1 and VP9 pools.
Unified was represented by Weichixue Law Firm for the appeal, and the case was managed by in-house counsel, Jessica L.A. Marks.
Fortress entity, Entropic, broadcast cable patent found invalid
On August 7, 2024, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) entered a final rejection of all the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 9,210,362, owned and asserted by Entropic Communications, an NPE and Fortress IP subsidiary. The ’362 patent generally relates to a wideband receiver that outputs a selected plurality of television channels to a demodulator. The patent was asserted against Cox, Comcast, and Charter Communications.
View district court litigations by Entropic Communications. Unified was represented by Raghav Bajaj and David McCombs of Hayes Boone, by in-house counsel, Kelly Hughes and Roshan Mansinghani.
To view the reexamination request, visit Unified’s Portal: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/exparte/90019255