Google Inc. v. Netlist, Inc.

Filing 193

JOINT STATUS REPORT RE Reexamination of U.S. Patent No. 7,289,386, filed by Netlist, Inc.. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1)(Cunningham, Sean) (Filed on 3/14/2011) Modified on 3/15/2011 (jlm, COURT STAFF).

Google Inc. v. Netlist, Inc.

Doc. 193

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DLA P IPER LLP (US)
SAN DIEGO

DONALD F. ZIMMER, JR. (SBN 112279/[e-mail]) CHERYL A. SABNIS (SBN 224323/[e-mail]) KING & SPALDING LLP 101 Second Street, Suite 2300 San Francisco, CA 94105 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] SCOTT T. WEINGAERTNER (pro hac vice/[e-mail]) ROBERT F. PERRY ([e-mail]) ALLISON ALTERSOHN (pro hac vice/[e-mail]) KING & SPALDING LLP 1185 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036-4003 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Plaintiff GOOGLE INC.

SEAN C. CUNNINGHAM, Bar No. 174931 [e-mail] JOHN D. KINTON, Bar No. 203250 [e-mail] JESSE HINDMAN, Bar No. 222935 [e-mail] DLA PIPER LLP (US) 401 B Street, Suite 1700 San Diego, CA 92101-4297 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] JOHN M. GUARAGNA, Bar No. 199277 [e-mail] DLA PIPER LLP (US) 401 Congress Avenue, Suite 2500 Austin, TX 78701-3799 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone]

Attorneys for Defendant NETLIST, INC. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA OAKLAND DIVISION

GOOGLE INC., Plaintiff, v. NETLIST, INC., Defendant.

Civil Action No. C08-04144 SBA [Related to Civil Action No. C09-05718 SBA] JOINT STATUS REPORT REGARDING REEXAMINATION OF U.S. PATENT NO. 7,289,386

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JOINT STATUS REPORT RE REEXAMINATION OF U.S. PATENT 7,289,386 4:08-CV-04144 SBA

Dockets.Justia.com

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DLA P IPER LLP (US)
SAN DIEGO

JOINT STATUS REPORT Pursuant to this Court's September 13, 2010 Order (Dkt. No. 188), Plaintiff and Counterdefendant Google Inc. ("Google") and Defendant and Counterclaimant Netlist, Inc. ("Netlist") hereby submit this Joint Status Report to update the Court regarding the status of the inter partes reexamination of U.S. Patent No. 7,289,386 ("the '386 patent"). I. BRIEF PROCEDURAL HISTORY On August 29, 2008 Plaintiff filed a Complaint for Declaratory Relief, seeking declarations of noninfringement and invalidity regarding U.S. Patent No. 7,289,386 ("the '386 patent"). (See Dkt. No. 1.) Defendant filed an answer on November 18, 2008 denying Plaintiff's claims and asserting defenses of waiver, unclean hands and estoppel. (See Dkt. No. 10.) Defendant further asserted counterclaims of infringement of the '386 patent, including inducement and willful infringement. (See id.) On December 8, 2009, Plaintiff filed a reply to Defendant's counterclaims denying Defendant's claims and asserting defenses of waiver, unclean hands, and estoppel. (See Dkt. No. 15.) On August 9, 2010 the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("PTO") ordered reexamination proceedings on claims 1-12 of the '386 patent. Plaintiff filed a motion to stay proceedings pending reexamination on August 26, 2010 (see Dkt. No. 182), which Defendant did not oppose. (See Dkt. No. 186.) Accordingly, the Court entered an Order Granting Plaintiff's Unopposed Motion to Stay Pending Reexamination on September 13, 2010, administratively closed the matter and requested the parties apprise the Court regarding reexamination proceedings every six months. (See Dkt. No. 188.) II. REEXAMINATION PROCEEDINGS REGARDING U.S. PATENT NO. 7,289,386 On October 30, 2007 the PTO issued U.S. Patent No. 7,289,386 titled "Memory Module Decoder" to Bhakta, et al. Plaintiff filed a request for inter partes reexamination of claims 1-12 of the '386 patent on May 11, 2010. The PTO assigned this request control No. 95/000,546 -2WEST\223276042.2

JOINT STATUS REPORT RE REEXAMINATION OF U.S. PATENT 7,289,386 4:08-CV-04144 SBA

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DLA P IPER LLP (US)
SAN DIEGO

("'546 proceeding") and ordered reexamination of claims 1-12 of the '386 patent on August 9, 2010. The PTO issued a non-final Office action on August 27, 2010 rejecting claims 1-12 of the '386 patent in the '546 proceeding. On October 27, 2010 Defendant timely filed, in response to the PTO August 27, 2010 '546 proceeding non-final Office action, an amendment and response which proposed by amendment new claims 14-30. Defendant neither canceled nor amended claims. On November 26, 2010, comments were timely filed by Plaintiff in the '546 proceeding, stating that the rejections of claims 1-12 should be maintained and new claims 14-30 should be rejected. To date, no further office actions have been issued in the '546 proceeding. SMART Modular Technologies (WWH), Inc. ("SMART") filed a second request for inter partes reexamination of claims 1-13 of the '386 patent on October 20, 2010. The PTO assigned the SMART request control No. 95/000,577 ("'577 proceeding"). The PTO ordered inter partes reexamination in the '577 proceeding regarding claims 1-13 of the `386 patent on January 18, 2011. To date, no Office action has been issued in the '577 proceeding. III. STATUS OF REEXAMINATION PROCEEDINGS On March 3, 2011, the PTO sua sponte merged the '546 and '577 proceedings into a single matter, as both proceedings were pending, had yet to be terminated and involved overlapping claims of the same patent. (See Ex. 1, Decision, Sua Sponte, To Merge Reexamination Proceedings dated March 3, 2011). Defendant's proposal of claims 14-30 currently applies to the '546 proceeding only; however the March 3, 2011 Decision to merge the '546 and '577 proceedings stated that an Office action requiring an amendment placing the claims in identical form is being issued concurrently with the Decision. The PTO has issued no further Office actions other than those discussed herein. IV. CONCLUSION Counsel for Plaintiff and Defendant conferred regarding this Joint Status Report on March 10, 12 and 14, 2011, and have reviewed and agree to this Joint Status Report. -3WEST\223276042.2

JOINT STATUS REPORT RE REEXAMINATION OF U.S. PATENT 7,289,386 4:08-CV-04144 SBA

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Respectfully Submitted,

Dated: March 14, 2011

DLA PIPER LLP (US) BY: /s/ Sean C. Cunningham SEAN C. CUNNINGHAM Attorneys for Defendant NETLIST, INC.

Dated: March 14, 2011

KING & SPALDING LLP BY: /s/ Allison Altersohn ALLISON ALTERSOHN Attorneys for Plaintiff GOOGLE INC.

DECLARATION OF CONSENT Pursuant to General Order No. 45, Section X(B) regarding signatures, I attest under penalty of perjury that concurrence in the filing of this document has been obtained from Allison Altersohn. Dated: March 14, 2011 DLA PIPER LLP (US) BY: /s/ Sean C. Cunningham SEAN C. CUNNINGHAM Attorneys for Defendant NETLIST, INC.

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DLA P IPER LLP (US)
SAN DIEGO

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JOINT STATUS REPORT RE REEXAMINATION OF U.S. PATENT 7,289,386 4:08-CV-04144 SBA