Case Filed: May 09, 2011
Case Closed: Aug 13, 2013
Judge: Susan Illston
Court: California Northern
District Court
Case Summary:
Positive Technologies filed
infringement action against a number of defendants who manufacture, market, and
sell several types of consumer electronics including laptop, desktop computers
incorporating LCD. Positive Technologies named Sony, Apple, HP, Acer, Gateway,
Dell, Asus, Lenovo, MSI, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Viewsonic and Kobo as
defendants. The patents involved in the suit are:
- US5444457 issued on Aug 22, 1995 and expired* by Aug 22, 2012
- US5627558 issued on May 06, 1997 and expires* by May 06, 2014
- US5831588 issued on Nov 03, 1998 and expired* by May 24, 2011
All patents are entitled ‘DC
integrating display driver employing pixel status memories’ and was originally
issued to Robert Hotto, founder of Positive Technologies. He holds more than 30
patents and several pending patent applications for technologies such as
firearms, batteries and hybrid automobiles, according to the complaint. The ‘457 and ‘588 patents were last assigned
and ‘558 patent is currently assigned+ to Positive
Technologies (source: MaxVal’s Assignment
Database).
Plaintiff alleged that defendants
infringes the patents by manufacturing
computers, laptops and e-readers incorporating LCD or electrophoretic display
panel utilizing display acceleration techniques claimed in the ‘457, ‘558 and
‘588 patents. Plaintiff requested the Court to enter judgment in its favor and award
money damages.
Apple, HP and Lenovo reached
settlements with Positive Technologies in the year 2011 while others remained
in the suit. Acer, Gateway, Dell, Asus, MSI, Kobo, were dismissed the later
year. Recently Sony, Amazon, Barnes & Noble ended their patent dispute with
Positive Technologies. The terms of agreement were not disclosed. Judge
approved the dismissals with prejudice, stipulating that each party bear its
own costs and attorneys' fees.
See 3:11-cv-02226
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*
Expected expiration date. Patent Term Estimator is a free web-based
tool that automatically calculates patent terms and expiration dates for U.S.
utility patents.
+
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alerts when assignments relating to target applications, patents or entities of
interest are recorded.
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