Marshall Division
Feb. 3
Plaintiff Markets Group Ltd. is a company organized under the laws of the Bahamas. According to the complaint, U.S. Letters Patent No. 7,206,762 was issued April 17,2007, to Jean-Yves Sireau for a Betting System and Method.
Sireau assigned all rights to the '762 Patent to Fixed-Odds Group Limited on Dec. 13, 2000. Fixed-Odds Group assigned the '762 Patent to Regent on July 9, 2003.
The '762 Patent relates generally to a fixed-odds betting system and more specifically to a method and system for buying and selling of fixed-odd financial bets wherein the system calculates the fixed odds for a bet based on input from a user and data relating to a financial market.
The complaint states that Regent Market Group is a "leading international financial betting company, offering a wide range of fixed-odds financial bets on foreign exchange rates, stock indices, stocks and commodities."
The company was founded in October 1999 by Sireau who first conceived of the idea of developing an automated betting system for offering fixed-odds financial bets to the retail public over the Internet.
He launched the Regent Market Group Web site in March 2000, and the company has grown into a multinational firm transacting more than $100 million bets per annum with thousands of clients worldwide.
Regent alleges that defendant IG Markets Inc. of Chicago, Ill., part of the IG Group PLC, has infringed and continues to infringe the '762 Patent. According to the complaint, IGM is a financial trading company that specializes in financial derivatives, principally binaries and options, as well as being a leading dealer in margined foreign exchange. IGM's clients include brokers, fund managers and trading companies plus private investors.
IGM's Pure Deal trading platform provides users with round-the-clock spreads on a range of major and exotic pairs, complemented by a selection of options and binaries, which infringe the '762 Patent, according to the plaintiff.
The plaintiff alleges IGM also contributes to and induces infringement of the '762 Patent by others.
Regent is seeking compensatory damages, enhanced damages, interest, attorneys' fees, costs and other relief the court may deem just and proper. The plaintiff demands a trial by jury on all issues so triable.
Edward W. Goldstein of Goldstein, Faucett & Prebeg LLP in Houston is lead attorney for the plaintiff.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge T. John Ward.
Case No. 2:10-cv-00042-TJW
Feb. 5
Plaintiff Dram Technologies, a Texas limited liability company with a place of business in Frisco, claims to be the owner by assignment of four U.S. patents dealing with memory devices.
The patents-in-suit are:
In the 61-page suit, 21 companies are named as defendants. The defendants are: America Group II Inc. doing business as America II Corp., America II Electronics Inc., D-Mac International Inc., EDX Electronics Inc., Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology Inc., Etron Technology America Inc., Etron Technology Inc., Fidelix Co. Ltd., Hynix Semiconductor America Inc., Hynix Semiconductor Manufacturing America Inc., Hynix Semiconductor Inc., Integrated Silicon Solution Inc., Memphis Electronic AG, Memphis Electronic Inc., Odyssey Electronic Ltd., Ravin Electronics LLC, Tech Recovery LLC doing business as Txcess Surplus, Tru-Tonics Inc. doing business as Tru-Tonics Intl., X-Press Micro Inc. and XITrade Inc. doing business as MemoryDepot.com.
DRAM Technologies is seeking injunctive relief, compensatory and enhanced damages, costs, expenses, interest, attorneys' fees and other relief to which it may be entitled. The plaintiff is requesting a trial by jury.
Michael J. Collins of Collins, Edmonds & Pogorzelski PLLC in Houston is lead attorney for the plaintiff, with attorneys from Ireland, Carroll & Kelley PC in Tyler.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge T. John Ward.
Case No. 2:10-cv-00045-TJW
Tyler Division
Feb. 4
Plaintiff Lonestar Inventions, a Texas limited partnership, claims to be the owner by assignment of U.S. Patent No. 5,208,725. The '725 Patent was issued May 4, 1993, to Osman E. Akcasu for a High Capacitance Structure in a Semiconductor Device. The claims of the '735 Patent relate to a capacitor structure comprised of conducting strips existing on a semi-conductor substrate.
Lonestar alleges defendant Atheros Communications Inc. makes, uses or sells products which infringe the '735 Patent, specifically the Atheros AR2133-AL IE transceiver. Lonestar claims Atheros has had knowledge of the '725 Patent since at least April 4, 2008.
Defendant PMC makes, uses or sells products infringing the patent, specifically PMC's PM8351 OctalPHY and PM8352 OctalPHY-IG chips, the plaintiff claims. PMC has had knowledge of the '725 Patent since Feb. 16, 2007, according to Lonestar.
The plaintiff is seeking damages adequate to compensate it for the infringement, in no event less than a reasonable royalty. Lonestar is also seeking interest, treble damages, costs, attorneys' fees and other just and proper relief.
Matthew J.M. Prebeg of Goldstein, Faucett & Prebeg LLP in Houston and Melissa R. Smith of Gilliam & Smith LLP in Marshall are representing the plaintiff.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis.
Case No. 6:10-cv-00026-LED