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, )

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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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