Apple, Inc. v. Motorola, Inc. et al
Filing
1028
ORDER of June 7, 2012. Signed by the Honorable Richard A. Posner on 6/7/2012:Judicial staff mailed notice(gl, )
UNITEDȱSTATESȱDISTRICTȱCOURTȱFORȱTHEȱ
NORTHERNȱDISTRICTȱOFȱILLINOISȱ
EASTERNȱDIVISIONȱ
________________ȱ
ȱ
APPLEȱINC.ȱandȱNeXTȱSOFTWAREȱ
)ȱ
INC.ȱ(f/k/aȱNeXTȱCOMPUTER,ȱINC.),ȱ
)ȱ ȱ
ȱ
)ȱ
ȱ
Plaintiffs,ȱ
)ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱ No.ȱ1:11ȬcvȬ08540ȱ
ȱ
)ȱ
ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱv.ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ)ȱ
ȱ
)ȱȱȱȱ JudgeȱRichardȱA.ȱPosner.ȱ
MOTOROLA,ȱINC.ȱandȱMOTOROLAȱ
)ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ
MOBILITY,ȱINC.,ȱ
)ȱ
ȱ
)ȱ
ȱ
Defendants.ȱ
)ȱ
ȱ
ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ
ȱ
ORDERȱOFȱJUNEȱ7,ȱ2012ȱ
ȱ
Onȱtheȱbasisȱofȱtheȱmotionsȱfiledȱbyȱtheȱpartiesȱregardingȱdamages,ȱinjunctiveȱandȱdeȬ
claratoryȱ relief,ȱ andȱ mootness,ȱ andȱ theȱ parties’ȱ filingsȱ thisȱ morningȱ addressedȱ toȱ theseȱ
mattersȱ andȱ theȱ hearingȱ heldȱ thisȱ afternoon,ȱ Iȱ haveȱ tentativelyȱ decidedȱ thatȱ theȱ caseȱ
shouldȱbeȱdismissedȱwithȱprejudiceȱbecauseȱneitherȱpartyȱcanȱestablishȱaȱrightȱtoȱrelief.ȱ
TheȱtrialȱscheduledȱtoȱbeginȱthisȱcomingȱMondayȱisȱthereforeȱcanceled.ȱButȱIȱwillȱdelayȱ
entryȱ ofȱ judgmentȱ untilȱ Iȱ haveȱ preparedȱ aȱ fullȱ opinion,ȱ becauseȱ inȱ theȱ courseȱ ofȱ thatȱ
preparationȱIȱmayȱchangeȱmyȱmind.ȱIȱwillȱmerelyȱsketchȱtheȱgroundsȱforȱmyȱtentativeȱ
viewȱveryȱbrieflyȱinȱthisȱorder.ȱ
ȱ
Appleȱconcedesȱthat,ȱinȱlightȱofȱmyȱOrderȱofȱMayȱ22,ȱ2012,ȱrulingȱonȱtheȱDaubertȱmotionȱ
filedȱbyȱMotorola,ȱitȱcannotȱproveȱdamagesȱforȱtheȱallegedȱinfringementȱofȱtheȱ‘002ȱandȱ
‘949ȱpatents.ȱThatȱleavesȱAppleȱwithȱjustȱitsȱclaimsȱforȱinfringementȱofȱtheȱ‘263ȱandȱ‘647ȱ
patents.ȱ Iȱ tentativelyȱ concludeȱ thatȱ itsȱ admissibleȱ evidenceȱ ofȱ damagesȱ withȱ respectȱ toȱ
thoseȱclaimsȱdoesȱnotȱcreateȱaȱgenuineȱissueȱofȱmaterialȱfactȱenablingȱitȱtoȱwithstandȱMoȬ
torola’sȱmotionȱforȱsummaryȱjudgment.ȱIȱlikewiseȱtentativelyȱconcludeȱthatȱtheȱadmissiȬ
bleȱ evidenceȱ ofȱ damagesȱ withȱ respectȱ toȱ theȱ allegedȱ infringementȱ byȱ Appleȱ ofȱ MoȬ
torola’sȱ‘898ȱpatentȱalsoȱfailsȱtoȱcreateȱaȱgenuineȱissueȱofȱmaterialȱfact.ȱ
ȱ
No.ȱ1:11ȬcvȬ08540ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ2
Thatȱleavesȱonlyȱtheȱparties’ȱclaimsȱtoȱinjunctiveȱreliefȱagainstȱtheȱallegedȱinfringements.ȱ
Becauseȱ theȱ partiesȱ believeȱ thatȱ damagesȱ areȱ anȱ adequateȱ remedyȱ forȱ theȱ allegedȱ inȬ
fringementsȱ(thoughȱtheyȱfailedȱtoȱpresentȱevidenceȱonȱdamagesȱstrongȱenoughȱtoȱwithȬ
standȱsummaryȱjudgment),ȱandȱbecauseȱinjunctiveȱreliefȱwouldȱimposeȱcostsȱdisproporȬ
tionateȱtoȱtheȱharmȱtoȱtheȱpatenteeȱandȱtheȱbenefitȱofȱtheȱallegedȱinfringementȱtoȱtheȱalȬ
legedȱinfringerȱandȱwouldȱbeȱcontraryȱtoȱtheȱpublicȱinterest,ȱIȱcannotȱfindȱaȱbasisȱforȱanȱ
awardȱofȱinjunctiveȱrelief.ȱAppleȱurgesȱmeȱtoȱholdȱaȱfullȱevidentiaryȱhearingȱonȱitsȱclaimȱ
forȱinjunctiveȱrelief.ȱTheȱrequestȱwasȱmadeȱforȱtheȱfirstȱtimeȱatȱthisȱafternoon’sȱhearing,ȱ
afterȱtheȱpartiesȱhadȱfullyȱbriefedȱtheȱquestionȱofȱentitlementȱtoȱinjunctiveȱrelief;ȱinȱanyȱ
eventȱIȱthinkȱtheȱexistingȱevidentiaryȱrecordȱisȱadequate.ȱ
ȱ
Appleȱseeksȱdeclaratoryȱreliefȱasȱanȱalternativeȱtoȱinjunctiveȱrelief;ȱIȱdoȱnotȱbelieveȱthatȱitȱ
hasȱanyȱrightȱtoȱdeclaratoryȱrelief,ȱbutȱifȱitȱdidȱIȱwouldȱbeȱstronglyȱinclinedȱtoȱexerciseȱ
myȱ discretionȱ toȱ denyȱ itȱ suchȱ reliefȱ inȱ lightȱ ofȱ myȱ rulingȱ thatȱ itȱ hasȱ failedȱ toȱ proveȱ itsȱ
damagesȱandȱinjunctionȱcases.ȱ
ȱ
Butȱallȱthisȱrequiresȱaȱfullerȱexplanation,ȱwhichȱIȱwillȱendeavorȱtoȱprovideȱinȱmyȱopinȬ
ion;ȱIȱexpectȱtoȱissueȱitȱwithinȱaȱweek.ȱ
ȱ
ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ
ȱ
ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ UnitedȱStatesȱCircuitȱJudgeȱ
ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ
Juneȱ7,ȱ2012ȱ
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