Recent patent infringement cases filed in the Eastern District of Texas

BEAUMONT DIVISION

Sept. 2 

PanTaurus LLC v Bank of America Corp., Bank of America NA, and Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc. Case No. 1:14-cv-00439

PanTaurus LLC v Chevron Corp. Case No. 1:14-cv-00440 

PanTaurus LLC v Citigroup Inc., Citicorp, Citibank Corp. and Citibank NA Case No. 1:14-cv-00441

PanTaurus LLC v eHarmony Inc. Case No. 1:14-cv-00442

PanTaurus LLC v E-Trade Financial Corp. Case No. 1:14-cv-00443

PanTaurus LLC v Facebook Inc. Case No. 1:14-cv-00444

PanTaurus LLC v Hulu LLC Case No. 1:14-cv-00445

PanTaurus LLC v JP Morgan Chase & Co., JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, Chase Bank USA NA and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Case No. 1:14-cv-00446

PanTaurus LLC v LinkedIn Corp. Case No. 1:14-cv-00447

PanTaurus LLC v Morgan Stanley Case No. 1:14-cv-00448

PanTaurus LLC v Spotify Sweden AB and Spotify USA Inc. Case No. 1:14-cv-00449

PanTaurus LLC v Wells Fargo & Co., Wells Fargo Bank NA and Wells Fargo Securities LLC Case No. 1:14-cv-00450

Plaintiff PanTaurus is a Texas limited liability company located in Beaumont.

PanTaurus claims to be the owner by assignment of U.S. Patent No. 6,272,533 for a Secure Computer System and Method of Providing Secure Access to a Computer System Including a Stand Alone Switch Operable to Inhibit Data Corruption on a Storage Device.

According to the complaints, the ‘533 Patent is a prominent, pioneering patent in the field of computer security. It has been forward-cited in more than 130 subsequently-issued U.S. patents to date, including patents originally assigned to such prominent companies as Intel (93 times), Dot Hill Systems (12 times), IBM, Nikon, Dell, Seagate, Lenovo, McAfee, Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin and STMicroelectronics.

Defendants are allegedly infringing the ‘533 Patent by making, having or using a secure computer system including digital computer systems comprising one or more Hadoop-compatible file systems.  A Hadoop distributed file system, or HDFS, is a distributed file system that includes computer hardware (e.g. servers and memory) and computer software for performing program functions.

Defendants also allegedly operate the components of the accused instrumentalities, including buses, processors, a data storage device and a switch.

PanTaurus is seeking an injunction against defendants, compensatory damages, interest, costs, attorneys’ fees and other relief to which it may be entitled. A jury trial is requested.

Craig Tadlock, John J. Harvey Jr. and Keith Smiley of Tadlock Law Firm PLLC in Plano is representing the plaintiff.

 

MARSHALL DIVISION

Sept. 3

Effective Exploration LLC v Aruba Petroleum Inc. Case No. 2:14-cv-00874

Effective Exploration LLC v Comstock Oil & Gas LP Case No. 2:14-cv-00875

Plaintiff Effective Exploration is a Texas corporation with a principal place of business in Plano.

The plaintiff claims to be the owner of U.S. Patent No. 8,813,840 issued Aug. 26, 2014, for a Method and System for Accessing Subterranean Deposits from the Surface and Tools Therefor.

According to the suit, Aruba and Comstock infringe the ‘840 Patent through operation of oil and gas wells or any combination of four or more horizontal wells, which are located at the same drilling pad at the surface, have non-common surface locations on the drilling pad, have a wellbore extending from the surface comprising a substantially vertical portion extending from the substantially vertical portion and where each well produces a fluid to the surface.

Effective Exploration claims Aruba and Comstock were made aware of the ‘840 Patent and its infringement, at least as early as the filing of this complaint, the suit states.

The plaintiff is seeking injunctive relief, compensatory damages, interest, costs, attorneys’ fees and other relief the court deems just and proper. A jury trial is requested.

Steven R. Daniels of Farney Daniels PC in Georgetown is lead attorney for the plaintiffs.