Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

IP News

By Jeffrey S. Ginsberg and Abhishek Bapna
September 01, 2021

Federal Circuit Clarifies Pleading Requirements for Patent Cases and Affirms Grant of Summary Judgment of Invalidity under 35 U.S.C. §101

On July 13, 2021, a Federal Circuit panel of Judges Dyk, Linn, and O'Malley issued a unanimous opinion, authored by Judge O'Malley, in Bot M8 LLC v. Sony Corp. of America, Case No. 2020-2218. The panel reversed the Northern District of California's finding that Bot M8's infringement allegations were insufficient with respect to two of the patents-in-suit, affirmed the district court's dismissal of Bot M8's claims as to two other patents-in-suit for failure to state a plausible claim of infringement, affirmed the district court's judgment of invalidity of one of the patents under 35 U.S.C. §101, and remanded for further proceedings. Slip Op. at 3-4.

Bot M8 LLC (Bot M8) sued Sony Corporation of America, et al. (Sony) for infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,078,540 (the '540 patent); 8,095,990 (the '990 patent); 7,664,988 (the '988 patent); 8,112,670 (the '670 patent); and 7,338,363 (the '363 patent) (collectively, the asserted patents). Id. at 2. The asserted patents are directed generally to casino, arcade, and video games. Id. at 4. Bot M8 accused Sony's PlayStation 4 (PS4) video game consoles of infringing the '540, '990, '988, and '670 patents. Id. at 5. Bot M8 also accused certain PS4 videogames of infringing the '363 patent. Id.

Bot M8 filed a first amended complaint and Sony moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim. Id. at. 2-3. The district court granted dismissal as to the '540, '990, '988, and '670 patents. Id. The district court subsequently denied Bot M8's motion for leave to file a second amended complaint and a motion for reconsideration of the same. Id. Sony also moved for summary judgment as to the '363 patent, arguing that claim 1 is invalid under 35 U.S.C. §101, which the district court granted. Id.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers Image

In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.

CoStar Wins Injunction for Breach-of-Contract Damages In CRE Database Access Lawsuit Image

Latham & Watkins helped the largest U.S. commercial real estate research company prevail in a breach-of-contract dispute in District of Columbia federal court.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Fresh Filings Image

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.