DietGoal Innovations LLC v. Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. et al

Filing 403

NOTICE by Google Inc., Jimmy John's Franchise LLC re 300 MOTION to Dismiss Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) for Failure to State a Claim Based on Unpatentable Subject Matter MOTION to Dismiss Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) for Failure to State a Claim Based on Unpatentable Subject Matter DEFENDANTS' NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORITY REGARDING MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM BASED ON UNPATENTABLE SUBJECT MATTER (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A - Fort Properties, Inc. v. American Master Lease LLC)(Carrano, Cono)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS MARSHALL DIVISION DIETGOAL INNOVATIONS LLC, Plaintiff, Civil Action No. 2:11-cv-00418-JRG v. JURY TRIAL DEMANDED ARBY’S RESTAURANT GROUP, INC., et al., Defendants. DEFENDANTS’ NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORITY REGARDING MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM BASED ON UNPATENTABLE SUBJECT MATTER Defendants Google Inc. and Jimmy John’s Franchise LLC (the “Defendants”) file this Notice of Supplemental Authority and respectfully request that the Court consider the recent precedential opinion issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Fort Properties, Inc. v. American Master Lease LLC, No. 2009-1242, 2012 WL 603969 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 27, 2012) (attached hereto as Exhibit A) in conjunction with the Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim Based on Unpatentable Subject Matter (Dkt. No. 300) (the “Motion) and the Reply Brief in Support of Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss For Failure to State a Claim Based on Unpatentable Subject Matter (Dkt. No 398) (the “Reply”). Since the Defendants filed the Motion, the Federal Circuit has issued two opinions in which the patent at issue was held invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101: the opinion in Dealertrack, Inc. v. Huber, No. 2009-1566, 2012 WL 164439 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 20, 2012), discussed in Defendants’ Reply, and the attached Fort Properties opinion. In both opinions, the Court held that claims containing “computer” limitations were unpatentable under § 101 in view of the Federal Circuit’s decision in CyberSource Corp. v. Retail Decisions, Inc., 654 F.3d 1366 (Fed. Cir. 2011). See Dealertrack, 2012 WL 164439, at *16-*17 (“computer aided” limitation); Fort Properties, 2012 WL 603969, at *6 (“computer” limitation). The Fort Properties opinion directly supports Defendants’ contention that the claims of the patent asserted by DietGoal, U.S. Patent No. 6,585,516, are unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The Federal Circuit and the lower court employed the § 101 analysis applied in Defendants’ Motion and Reply, namely that the claims are directed to abstract ideas and that the claims fail the machine-or-transformation test, respectively. See Fort Properties, 2012 WL 603969, at *2, *5. DATED: February 28, 2012 Respectfully Submitted, /s/ Cono A. Carrano Cono A. Carrano Lead Attorney D.C. Bar No. 445995 Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP 1333 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Telephone: 202.887.4136 Facsimile: 202.887.4288 Email: ccarrano@akingump.com Dianne B. Elderkin Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP Two Commerce Square, Suite 4100 2001 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: 215.965.1340 Facsimile: 215.965.1210 Email: delderkin@akingump.com 2 David C. Vondle Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP 1333 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Telephone: 202.887.4184 Facsimile: 202.887.4288 Email: dvondle@akingump.com Kellie M. Johnson State Bar No. 24070003 Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP 1700 Pacific Avenue, Suite 4100 Dallas, TX 75201 Telephone: 214.969.2743 Facsimile: 214.969.4343 Email: kmjohnson@akingump.com John Wittenzellner Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP Two Commerce Square, Suite 4100 2001 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: 215.965.1241 Facsimile: 215.965.1210 Email: jwittenzellner@akingump.com Jennifer Parker Ainsworth State Bar No. 00784720 Wilson Robertson & Cornelius PC 909 ESE Loop 323, Suite 400 P.O. Box 7339 Tyler, TX 75711 Telephone: 903.509.5000 Facsimile: 903.509.5092 Email: jainsworth@wilsonlawfirm.com Counsel for Defendant Google Inc. Jennifer L. Fitzgerald Freeborn & Peters LLP 311 S. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 Telephone: 312.360.6585 Facsimile: 312.360.6594 Email: jfitzgerald@freebornpeters.com 3 Michael E. Jones State Bar No. 10929400 Potter Minton, P.C. 110 N. College Avenue, Suite 500 Tyler, TX 75702 Telephone: 903.597.8311 Facsimile: 903.593.0846 Email: mikejones@potterminton.com Allen F. Gardner State Bar No. 24043679 Potter Minton, P.C. 110 N. College Avenue, Suite 500 Tyler, TX 75702 Telephone: 903.597.8311 Facsimile: 903.593.0846 Email: allengardner@potterminton.com Counsel for Defendant Jimmy John’s Franchise LLC 4 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that all counsel of record who consented to electronic service are being served with a copy of this document via the Court’s CM/ECF system per Local Rule CV-5(a) on February 28, 2012. Any other counsel of record will be served by First Class U.S. mail on this same date. /s/ Cono A. Carrano Cono A. Carrano 5

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