Certain Electronic Imaging Devices; Notice of Commission Determination To Review-in-Part a Final Determination, 77490-77492 [2013-30318]
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77490
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 246 / Monday, December 23, 2013 / Notices
By order of the Commission.
Lisa R. Barton,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2013–30494 Filed 12–20–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020–02–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 337–TA–850]
Certain Electronic Imaging Devices;
Notice of Commission Determination
To Review-in-Part a Final
Determination
U.S. International Trade
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
the U.S. International Trade
Commission has determined to review
in-part the final initial determination
(‘‘ID’’) issued by the presiding
administrative law judge (‘‘ALJ’’) on
September 30, 2013, finding a violation
of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930,
19 U.S.C. 1337 (‘‘Section 337’’).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jia
Chen, Office of the General Counsel,
U.S. International Trade Commission,
500 E Street SW., Washington, DC
20436, telephone (202) 708–4737.
Copies of non-confidential documents
filed in connection with this
investigation are or will be available for
inspection during official business
hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in the
Office of the Secretary, U.S.
International Trade Commission, 500 E
Street SW., Washington, DC 20436,
telephone (202) 205–2000. General
information concerning the Commission
may also be obtained by accessing its
Internet server at https://www.usitc.gov.
The public record for this investigation
may be viewed on the Commission’s
electronic docket (EDIS) at https://
edis.usitc.gov. Hearing-impaired
persons are advised that information on
this matter can be obtained by
contacting the Commission’s TDD
terminal on (202) 205–1810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Commission instituted this investigation
on June 29, 2012, based on a complaint
filed by Flashpoint Technology, Inc.
(‘‘Flashpoint’’) of Peterborough, New
Hampshire alleging violations of Section
337 in the importation into the United
States, the sale for importation, and the
sale within the United States after
importation of certain electronic
imaging devices by reason of
infringement of certain claims of U.S.
Patent Nos. 6,504,575 (‘‘the ’575
patent’’), 6,222,538 (‘‘the ’538 patent’’),
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SUMMARY:
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6,400,471 (‘‘the ’471 patent’’), and
6,223,190 (‘‘the ’190 patent’’). The
notice of investigation named the
following respondents: HTC
Corporation of Taoyuan, Taiwan and
HTC America, Inc. of Bellevue,
Washington (collectively, ‘‘HTC’’);
Pantech Co., Ltd. of Seoul, Republic of
Korea and Pantech Wireless, Inc. of
Atlanta, Georgia (collectively,
‘‘Pantech’’); Huawei Technologies Co.,
Ltd. of Shenzhen, China; FutureWei
Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Huawei
Technologies (USA) of Plano, Texas
(collectively ‘‘Huawei’’); ZTE
Corporation of Shenzhen, China; and
ZTE (USA) Inc. of Richardson, Texas
(collectively ‘‘ZTE’’). The ’575 patent
and respondent Pantech have been
terminated from the investigation. The
Commission Office of Unfair Import
Investigations did not participate in this
investigation.
On September 30, 2013, the ALJ
issued a final ID finding a violation of
Section 337 by HTC. Specifically, the
ALJ concluded that two of the accused
HTC smartphones, i.e., the HTC Vivid
and HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE,
infringe the asserted claims of the ’538
patent. The ALJ found, however, that
none of the other accused HTC
smartphones infringe the ’538 patent
and that none of the accused HTC,
Huawei, or ZTE smartphones infringe
the asserted claims of the ’471 patent or
the ’190 patent. The ALJ found that the
smartphones of Flashpoint’s licensees
[REDACTED] meet the technical prong
of the domestic industry requirement
with respect to the ’538 patent, but that
none of the licensed [REDACTED]
smartphones meet the technical prong
of the domestic industry requirement
with respect to either the ’471 or ’190
patents. The ALJ found that Flashpoint
established the economic prong of the
domestic industry requirement under
Sections 337(a)(3)(A), (B), and (C) with
respect to all of the asserted patents.
The ALJ also found that HTC has not
established that the asserted patents are
invalid in view of the prior art or the onsale bar. The ALJ further found that the
’190 and ’538 patents are not
unenforceable for failure to name an
inventor.
On October 31, 2013, Flashpoint filed
a petition for review, challenging the
ALJ’s determination with respect to: (1)
The representativeness of the accused
products for the ’538 patent, (2) claim
construction for the ’471 patent, (3) noninfringement of the ’471 patent, (4) noninfringement of the ’190 patent, (5)
technical prong for the ’471 patent, and
(6) technical prong for the ’190 patent.
On the same day, respondents HTC,
Huawei, and ZTE filed a joint petition
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for review, challenging the ALJ’s
determination with respect to: (1) Noninfringement of the ’190 patent, (2)
validity of the ’190 patent for
anticipation and obviousness, (3)
validity of the ’471 patent for
anticipation and obviousness (4)
technical prong for the ’190 patent, and
(5) economic prong with respect to all
asserted patents. HTC filed a separate
petition for review with respect to
issues affecting only HTC, challenging
the ALJ’s determination with respect to
(1) claim construction for the ’538
patent, (2) infringement of the ’538
patent, (3) validity of the ’538 patent for
anticipation and obviousness, (4) noninfringement of the ’471 patent; (5)
validity of the asserted patents with
respect to the on-sale bar, and (6)
enforceability of the asserted patents.
The Commission has determined to
review the ALJ’s findings regarding the
following issues: (1) Infringement of the
asserted claims of the ’538 patent by the
HTC Vivid and HTC Droid Incredible
4G LTE smartphones; (2) the technical
prong of the domestic industry
requirement for the ’538 patent; (3)
obviousness of the asserted claims of the
’538 patent over U.S. Patent No.
5,835,772 to Thurlo (‘‘Thurlo’’), U.S.
Patent No. 5,740,801 to Branson
(‘‘Branson’’), the ‘‘Admitted Prior Art’’
(‘‘APA’’), U.S. Patent No. 5,638,501 to
Gough et al. (‘‘Gough’’), and U.S. Patent
No. 5,898,434 to Small (‘‘Small’’); (4)
claim construction of the term
‘‘operating system’’ in the asserted
claims of the ’471 patent; (5)
infringement of the ’471 patent by the
accused HTC, Huawei, and ZTE
products; (6) the technical prong of the
domestic industry requirement for the
’471 patent; (7) anticipation of the
asserted claims of the ’471 patent in
view of U.S. Patent No. 5,687,376 to
Celi, Jr. et al.; (8) infringement of the
asserted claim of the ’190 patent; (9)
technical prong of the domestic industry
requirement for the ’190 patent; (10)
anticipation and obviousness of the ’190
patent in view of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application 60/037,963 to Parulski; (11)
anticipation and obviousness of the ’190
patent in view of the Zaurus; (12)
anticipation and obviousness of the
’‘190 patent in view of the Japanese
Laid-Open Patent Application No. H09–
298678 to Kazu Saito; (13) validity of
the ’538, ’471, and ’‘190 patents in view
of the on-sale bar; (14) enforceability of
claim 19 of the ’538 patent with respect
to joint inventorship; and (15) the
economic prong of the domestic
industry requirement with respect to the
’539, ’471, and ’190 patents. The
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Commission has determined not to
review any of the remaining issues.
The parties should brief their
positions on the issues on review with
reference to the applicable law and the
evidentiary record. In connection with
its review, the Commission is
particularly interested in responses to
the following questions:
Question 1: The Federal Circuit
issued an opinion in Suprema Inc. v.
ITC on December 13, 2013, holding that
‘‘an exclusion order based on a violation
of 19 U.S.C. § 1337(a)(1)(B)(i) may not
be predicated on a theory of induced
infringement under 35 U.S.C. 271(b)
where direct infringement does not
occur until after importation of the
articles the exclusion order would bar.’’
Opinion at 4. Please address whether
the Court’s holding regarding induced
infringement applies to the facts of this
case.
Question 2: Please discuss whether
Flashpoint has presented sufficient
evidence that HTC had specific intent to
induce infringement of the asserted
claims of the ’538 patent [REDACTED]
Specifically, please address whether
this case is or is not distinguishable
from the facts of i4i Ltd. Partnership v.
Microsoft Corp., 598 F.3d 831, 851–52
(Fed. Cir. 2010).
Question 3: Please discuss whether
Flashpoint has presented sufficient
evidence showing acts of direct
infringement as to the asserted claims of
the ’538 patent. [REDACTED]
Question 4: Please discuss whether
the asserted claims of the ’538 patent are
obvious over Thurlo, Branson, the APA,
Gough, and/or Small. Specifically,
please address whether a person of
ordinary skill in the art would be
motivated to combine Thurlo, Branson,
and the APA, and whether a person of
ordinary skill in the art would be
motivated to combine Thurlo, Branson,
and the APA, with Gough and/or Small.
Please cite to the record, including
relevant prosecution history and expert
testimony.
Question 5: With respect to the proper
construction of the term ‘‘operating
system’’ of the asserted claims of the
’471 patent, discuss whether the
preferred embodiments of the ’471
patent are implemented using an
‘‘operating system’’ that does not
include the kernel and device drivers.
Please also discuss, even if the preferred
embodiments of the ’471 patent are
implemented using an operating system
that does not include the kernel and
device drivers, whether under the ALJ’s
construction of the term ‘‘operating
system,’’ the kernel and device drivers
are necessarily included.
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Question 6: Discuss whether the
accused products meet each of the
limitations of the asserted claims of the
’471 patent, including the term
‘‘operating system’’ under the proper
construction of that term and the term
‘‘image processing system,’’ as
construed by the ALJ.
Question 7: [REDACTED]
Question 8: Discuss whether the
asserted claims of the ’471 patent are
anticipated by the Celi reference under
the ALJ’s construction of the term
‘‘image processing subsystem.’’
Question 9: [REDACTED]
Question 10: Discuss whether the
accused products meet the limitation
‘‘wherein the formatted document is
formatted in accordance with a
predefined model’’ of claim 13 of the
’190 patent. [REDACTED]
Question 11: Please provide
evidentiary support in the record
regarding whether the U.S. investments
alleged by complainant are significant
or substantial in the context of the
complainant’s business, the relevant
industry, and market realities.
Question 12: Assume for purposes of
this question that the ITC issues an
exclusion order covering the ‘‘nocontract’’ and ‘‘pay as you go’’ phones
described on page 4 of ZTE Corporation
and ZTE (USA) Inc.’s Statement on the
Public Interest filed on November 18,
2013. Please provide the percentage of
the total ‘‘no contract’’ and ‘‘pay as you
go’’ phone market that would be
affected by such an exclusion order.
Question 13: Several entities
submitted statements on the public
interest asserting that there should be a
transition period for any remedy issued
against HTC. Please explain and provide
evidence regarding whether such a
transition period is warranted in this
investigation. Additionally, please
explain and provide evidence regarding
the appropriate duration for any such
transition period.
Question 14: Several entities
submitted statements on the public
interest asserting that the Commission
should consider in its public interest
analysis the fact that HTC’s accused
products are complex devices
comprising numerous components,
whereas Flashpoint’s infringement
allegations are directed to a single
component of the accused devices. How
(if at all) should the Commission
consider such a factor in determining
whether to issue such a remedy or in
fashioning an appropriate remedy in
this investigation?
In connection with the final
disposition of this investigation, the
Commission may (1) issue an order that
could result in the exclusion of the
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77491
subject articles from entry into the
United States, and/or (2) issue one or
more cease and desist orders that could
result in a respondent being required to
cease and desist from engaging in unfair
acts in the importation and sale of such
articles. Accordingly, the Commission is
interested in receiving written
submissions that address the form of
remedy, if any, that should be ordered.
If a party seeks exclusion of an article
from entry into the United States for
purposes other than entry for
consumption, the party should so
indicate and provide information
establishing that activities involving
other types of entry either are adversely
affecting it or likely to do so. For
background, see Certain Devices for
Connecting Computers via Telephone
Lines, Inv. No. 337–TA–360, USITC
Pub. No. 2843, Comm’n Op. at 9
(December 1994).
If the Commission contemplates some
form of remedy, it must consider the
effects of that remedy upon the public
interest. The factors the Commission
will consider include the effect that an
exclusion order and/or cease and desist
orders would have on (1) the public
health and welfare, (2) competitive
conditions in the U.S. economy, (3) U.S.
production of articles that are like or
directly competitive with those that are
subject to investigation, and (4) U.S.
consumers. The Commission is
therefore interested in receiving written
submissions that address the
aforementioned public interest factors
in the context of this investigation.
If the Commission orders some form
of remedy, the United States Trade
Representative, as delegated by the
President, has 60 days to approve or
disapprove the Commission’s action.
See Presidential Memorandum of July
21, 2005, 70 Fed. Reg. 43251 (July 26,
2005). During this period, the subject
articles would be entitled to enter the
United States under bond, in an amount
determined by the Commission and
prescribed by the Secretary of the
Treasury. The Commission is therefore
interested in receiving submissions
concerning the amount of the bond that
should be imposed if a remedy is
ordered.
Written Submissions: The parties to
the investigation are requested to file
written submissions on the issues
identified in this notice. Parties to the
investigation, interested government
agencies, and any other interested
parties are encouraged to file written
submissions on the issues of remedy,
the public interest, and bonding. Such
submissions should address the
recommended determination by the ALJ
on remedy and bonding. Complainant is
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also requested to submit proposed
remedial orders for the Commission’s
consideration. Complainant is also
requested to state the date that the
patents expire and the HTSUS
subheadings under which the accused
products are imported. The written
submissions and proposed remedial
orders must be filed no later than close
of business on Thursday, January 3,
2014. Reply submissions must be filed
no later than the close of business on
Thursday, January 10, 2014. The written
submissions must be no longer than 75
pages and the reply submissions must
be no longer than 35 pages. No further
submissions on these issues will be
permitted unless otherwise ordered by
the Commission.
Persons filing written submissions
must do so in accordance with
Commission rule 210.4(f), 19 CFR
210.4(f), which requires electronic
filing. The original document and 8 true
copies thereof must also be filed on or
before the deadlines stated above with
the Office of the Secretary. Any person
desiring to submit a document to the
Commission in confidence must request
confidential treatment unless the
information has already been granted
such treatment during the proceedings.
All such requests should be directed to
the Secretary of the Commission and
must include a full statement of the
reasons why the Commission should
grant such treatment. See 19 CFR 210.6.
Documents for which confidential
treatment by the Commission is sought
will be treated accordingly. All nonconfidential written submissions will be
available for public inspection at the
Office of the Secretary and on EDIS.
The authority for the Commission’s
determination is contained in section
337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (19 U.S.C. 1337), and in
sections 210.42–46 and 210.50 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (19 CFR 210.42–46 and
210.50).
Issued: December 16, 2013.
By order of the Commission.
Lisa R. Barton,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2013–30318 Filed 12–20–13; 8:45 am]
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JUDICIAL CONFERENCE OF THE
UNITED STATES
Hearings of the Judicial Conference
Advisory Committee on Rules of
Bankruptcy Procedure; Federal
Register Citation of Previous
Announcement: 78FR 49768
Advisory Committee on Rules
of Bankruptcy Procedure, Judicial
Conference of the United States.
ACTION: Notice of Cancellation of Open
Hearing.
AGENCY:
The following public hearing
on proposed amendments to the Federal
Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure has been
canceled: Bankruptcy Rules Hearing,
January 17, 2014, Chicago, IL.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jonathan C. Rose, Secretary and Chief
Rules Officer, Rules Committee Support
Office, Administrative Office of the
United States Courts, Washington, DC
20544, telephone (202) 502–1820.
The United States v. Cabot Corporation,
et al., DJ#: 90–11–3–07162/3. All
comments must be submitted no later
than thirty (30) days after the
publication date of this notice.
Comments may be submitted either by
email or by mail:
To submit
comments:
Send them to:
By email .......
pubcomment-ees.enrd@
usdoj.gov.
Assistant Attorney General
U.S. DOJ—ENRD,
P.O. Box 7611,
Washington, DC 20044–7611.
By mail .........
SUMMARY:
Dated: December 18, 2013.
Jonathan C. Rose,
Secretary and Chief Rules Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013–30490 Filed 12–20–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 2210–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Notice of Lodging of Proposed
Consent Decree Under the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act
On December 16, 2013, the
Department of Justice lodged a proposed
Consent Decree with the United States
District Court for the District of New
Jersey in the lawsuit entitled The United
States v. Cabot Corporation, et al., Case
No: 3:13–cv–07564. The Consent Decree
resolves the claims of Plaintiff set forth
in the complaint against Defendants
involving the Evor Phillips Leasing
Superfund Site under Sections 106 and
107(a) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, 42
U.S.C. 9606 and 9607(a). Under the
proposed Consent Decree, Defendants
have agreed to implement the remedy
selected by the Environmental
Protection Agency to address
contaminated groundwater at the Site
and to pay all interim and future costs
associated with the remedy.
The publication of this notice opens
a period for public comment on the
Consent Decree. Comments should be
addressed to the Assistant Attorney
General, Environment and Natural
Resources Division, and should refer to
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During the public comment period,
the Consent Decree may be examined
and downloaded at this Justice
Department Web site: https://
www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_
Decrees.html. We will provide a paper
copy of the Consent Decree upon
written request and payment of
reproduction costs. Please mail your
request and payment to: Consent Decree
Library, U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. Box
7611, Washington, DC 20044–7611.
Please enclose a check or money order
for $54.25 (25 cents per page
reproduction cost) payable to the United
States Treasury.
Maureen Katz,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental
Enforcement Section, Environment and
Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2013–30437 Filed 12–20–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Notice of Lodging of Proposed
Consent Decree Under the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability
Act
On December 13, 2013, the
Department of Justice lodged a proposed
Consent Decree (‘‘Decree’’) with the
United States District Court for the
Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the
lawsuit entitled United States v. Strube,
Inc., et al, Civil Action No. 5:13–cv–
07303–JS.
In this action the United States, on
behalf of the Environmental Protection
Agency (‘‘EPA’’), filed a complaint
against Defendants Strube, Inc., Tammie
L. Dallmeyer and Carl E. Dallmeyer as
Personal Representatives of the Estate of
Craig E. Dallmeyer, and Donald C.
Dallmeyer (‘‘Defendants’’) under the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability
Act (‘‘CERCLA’’). The complaint seeks
the recovery of costs the United States
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 246 (Monday, December 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77490-77492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30318]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 337-TA-850]
Certain Electronic Imaging Devices; Notice of Commission
Determination To Review-in-Part a Final Determination
AGENCY: U.S. International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade
Commission has determined to review in-part the final initial
determination (``ID'') issued by the presiding administrative law judge
(``ALJ'') on September 30, 2013, finding a violation of Section 337 of
the Tariff Act of 1930, 19 U.S.C. 1337 (``Section 337'').
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jia Chen, Office of the General
Counsel, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202) 708-4737. Copies of non-
confidential documents filed in connection with this investigation are
or will be available for inspection during official business hours
(8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in the Office of the Secretary, U.S.
International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436,
telephone (202) 205-2000. General information concerning the Commission
may also be obtained by accessing its Internet server at https://www.usitc.gov. The public record for this investigation may be viewed
on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov.
Hearing-impaired persons are advised that information on this matter
can be obtained by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on (202)
205-1810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission instituted this investigation
on June 29, 2012, based on a complaint filed by Flashpoint Technology,
Inc. (``Flashpoint'') of Peterborough, New Hampshire alleging
violations of Section 337 in the importation into the United States,
the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after
importation of certain electronic imaging devices by reason of
infringement of certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,504,575 (``the
'575 patent''), 6,222,538 (``the '538 patent''), 6,400,471 (``the '471
patent''), and 6,223,190 (``the '190 patent''). The notice of
investigation named the following respondents: HTC Corporation of
Taoyuan, Taiwan and HTC America, Inc. of Bellevue, Washington
(collectively, ``HTC''); Pantech Co., Ltd. of Seoul, Republic of Korea
and Pantech Wireless, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia (collectively,
``Pantech''); Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. of Shenzhen, China;
FutureWei Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Huawei Technologies (USA) of Plano,
Texas (collectively ``Huawei''); ZTE Corporation of Shenzhen, China;
and ZTE (USA) Inc. of Richardson, Texas (collectively ``ZTE''). The
'575 patent and respondent Pantech have been terminated from the
investigation. The Commission Office of Unfair Import Investigations
did not participate in this investigation.
On September 30, 2013, the ALJ issued a final ID finding a
violation of Section 337 by HTC. Specifically, the ALJ concluded that
two of the accused HTC smartphones, i.e., the HTC Vivid and HTC Droid
Incredible 4G LTE, infringe the asserted claims of the '538 patent. The
ALJ found, however, that none of the other accused HTC smartphones
infringe the '538 patent and that none of the accused HTC, Huawei, or
ZTE smartphones infringe the asserted claims of the '471 patent or the
'190 patent. The ALJ found that the smartphones of Flashpoint's
licensees [REDACTED] meet the technical prong of the domestic industry
requirement with respect to the '538 patent, but that none of the
licensed [REDACTED] smartphones meet the technical prong of the
domestic industry requirement with respect to either the '471 or '190
patents. The ALJ found that Flashpoint established the economic prong
of the domestic industry requirement under Sections 337(a)(3)(A), (B),
and (C) with respect to all of the asserted patents. The ALJ also found
that HTC has not established that the asserted patents are invalid in
view of the prior art or the on-sale bar. The ALJ further found that
the '190 and '538 patents are not unenforceable for failure to name an
inventor.
On October 31, 2013, Flashpoint filed a petition for review,
challenging the ALJ's determination with respect to: (1) The
representativeness of the accused products for the '538 patent, (2)
claim construction for the '471 patent, (3) non-infringement of the
'471 patent, (4) non-infringement of the '190 patent, (5) technical
prong for the '471 patent, and (6) technical prong for the '190 patent.
On the same day, respondents HTC, Huawei, and ZTE filed a joint
petition for review, challenging the ALJ's determination with respect
to: (1) Non-infringement of the '190 patent, (2) validity of the '190
patent for anticipation and obviousness, (3) validity of the '471
patent for anticipation and obviousness (4) technical prong for the
'190 patent, and (5) economic prong with respect to all asserted
patents. HTC filed a separate petition for review with respect to
issues affecting only HTC, challenging the ALJ's determination with
respect to (1) claim construction for the '538 patent, (2) infringement
of the '538 patent, (3) validity of the '538 patent for anticipation
and obviousness, (4) non-infringement of the '471 patent; (5) validity
of the asserted patents with respect to the on-sale bar, and (6)
enforceability of the asserted patents.
The Commission has determined to review the ALJ's findings
regarding the following issues: (1) Infringement of the asserted claims
of the '538 patent by the HTC Vivid and HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE
smartphones; (2) the technical prong of the domestic industry
requirement for the '538 patent; (3) obviousness of the asserted claims
of the '538 patent over U.S. Patent No. 5,835,772 to Thurlo
(``Thurlo''), U.S. Patent No. 5,740,801 to Branson (``Branson''), the
``Admitted Prior Art'' (``APA''), U.S. Patent No. 5,638,501 to Gough et
al. (``Gough''), and U.S. Patent No. 5,898,434 to Small (``Small'');
(4) claim construction of the term ``operating system'' in the asserted
claims of the '471 patent; (5) infringement of the '471 patent by the
accused HTC, Huawei, and ZTE products; (6) the technical prong of the
domestic industry requirement for the '471 patent; (7) anticipation of
the asserted claims of the '471 patent in view of U.S. Patent No.
5,687,376 to Celi, Jr. et al.; (8) infringement of the asserted claim
of the '190 patent; (9) technical prong of the domestic industry
requirement for the '190 patent; (10) anticipation and obviousness of
the '190 patent in view of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/
037,963 to Parulski; (11) anticipation and obviousness of the '190
patent in view of the Zaurus; (12) anticipation and obviousness of the
'`190 patent in view of the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.
H09-298678 to Kazu Saito; (13) validity of the '538, '471, and '`190
patents in view of the on-sale bar; (14) enforceability of claim 19 of
the '538 patent with respect to joint inventorship; and (15) the
economic prong of the domestic industry requirement with respect to the
'539, '471, and '190 patents. The
[[Page 77491]]
Commission has determined not to review any of the remaining issues.
The parties should brief their positions on the issues on review
with reference to the applicable law and the evidentiary record. In
connection with its review, the Commission is particularly interested
in responses to the following questions:
Question 1: The Federal Circuit issued an opinion in Suprema Inc.
v. ITC on December 13, 2013, holding that ``an exclusion order based on
a violation of 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1337(a)(1)(B)(i) may not be predicated
on a theory of induced infringement under 35 U.S.C. 271(b) where direct
infringement does not occur until after importation of the articles the
exclusion order would bar.'' Opinion at 4. Please address whether the
Court's holding regarding induced infringement applies to the facts of
this case.
Question 2: Please discuss whether Flashpoint has presented
sufficient evidence that HTC had specific intent to induce infringement
of the asserted claims of the '538 patent [REDACTED] Specifically,
please address whether this case is or is not distinguishable from the
facts of i4i Ltd. Partnership v. Microsoft Corp., 598 F.3d 831, 851-52
(Fed. Cir. 2010).
Question 3: Please discuss whether Flashpoint has presented
sufficient evidence showing acts of direct infringement as to the
asserted claims of the '538 patent. [REDACTED]
Question 4: Please discuss whether the asserted claims of the '538
patent are obvious over Thurlo, Branson, the APA, Gough, and/or Small.
Specifically, please address whether a person of ordinary skill in the
art would be motivated to combine Thurlo, Branson, and the APA, and
whether a person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to
combine Thurlo, Branson, and the APA, with Gough and/or Small. Please
cite to the record, including relevant prosecution history and expert
testimony.
Question 5: With respect to the proper construction of the term
``operating system'' of the asserted claims of the '471 patent, discuss
whether the preferred embodiments of the '471 patent are implemented
using an ``operating system'' that does not include the kernel and
device drivers. Please also discuss, even if the preferred embodiments
of the '471 patent are implemented using an operating system that does
not include the kernel and device drivers, whether under the ALJ's
construction of the term ``operating system,'' the kernel and device
drivers are necessarily included.
Question 6: Discuss whether the accused products meet each of the
limitations of the asserted claims of the '471 patent, including the
term ``operating system'' under the proper construction of that term
and the term ``image processing system,'' as construed by the ALJ.
Question 7: [REDACTED]
Question 8: Discuss whether the asserted claims of the '471 patent
are anticipated by the Celi reference under the ALJ's construction of
the term ``image processing subsystem.''
Question 9: [REDACTED]
Question 10: Discuss whether the accused products meet the
limitation ``wherein the formatted document is formatted in accordance
with a predefined model'' of claim 13 of the '190 patent. [REDACTED]
Question 11: Please provide evidentiary support in the record
regarding whether the U.S. investments alleged by complainant are
significant or substantial in the context of the complainant's
business, the relevant industry, and market realities.
Question 12: Assume for purposes of this question that the ITC
issues an exclusion order covering the ``no-contract'' and ``pay as you
go'' phones described on page 4 of ZTE Corporation and ZTE (USA) Inc.'s
Statement on the Public Interest filed on November 18, 2013. Please
provide the percentage of the total ``no contract'' and ``pay as you
go'' phone market that would be affected by such an exclusion order.
Question 13: Several entities submitted statements on the public
interest asserting that there should be a transition period for any
remedy issued against HTC. Please explain and provide evidence
regarding whether such a transition period is warranted in this
investigation. Additionally, please explain and provide evidence
regarding the appropriate duration for any such transition period.
Question 14: Several entities submitted statements on the public
interest asserting that the Commission should consider in its public
interest analysis the fact that HTC's accused products are complex
devices comprising numerous components, whereas Flashpoint's
infringement allegations are directed to a single component of the
accused devices. How (if at all) should the Commission consider such a
factor in determining whether to issue such a remedy or in fashioning
an appropriate remedy in this investigation?
In connection with the final disposition of this investigation, the
Commission may (1) issue an order that could result in the exclusion of
the subject articles from entry into the United States, and/or (2)
issue one or more cease and desist orders that could result in a
respondent being required to cease and desist from engaging in unfair
acts in the importation and sale of such articles. Accordingly, the
Commission is interested in receiving written submissions that address
the form of remedy, if any, that should be ordered. If a party seeks
exclusion of an article from entry into the United States for purposes
other than entry for consumption, the party should so indicate and
provide information establishing that activities involving other types
of entry either are adversely affecting it or likely to do so. For
background, see Certain Devices for Connecting Computers via Telephone
Lines, Inv. No. 337-TA-360, USITC Pub. No. 2843, Comm'n Op. at 9
(December 1994).
If the Commission contemplates some form of remedy, it must
consider the effects of that remedy upon the public interest. The
factors the Commission will consider include the effect that an
exclusion order and/or cease and desist orders would have on (1) the
public health and welfare, (2) competitive conditions in the U.S.
economy, (3) U.S. production of articles that are like or directly
competitive with those that are subject to investigation, and (4) U.S.
consumers. The Commission is therefore interested in receiving written
submissions that address the aforementioned public interest factors in
the context of this investigation.
If the Commission orders some form of remedy, the United States
Trade Representative, as delegated by the President, has 60 days to
approve or disapprove the Commission's action. See Presidential
Memorandum of July 21, 2005, 70 Fed. Reg. 43251 (July 26, 2005). During
this period, the subject articles would be entitled to enter the United
States under bond, in an amount determined by the Commission and
prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Commission is
therefore interested in receiving submissions concerning the amount of
the bond that should be imposed if a remedy is ordered.
Written Submissions: The parties to the investigation are requested
to file written submissions on the issues identified in this notice.
Parties to the investigation, interested government agencies, and any
other interested parties are encouraged to file written submissions on
the issues of remedy, the public interest, and bonding. Such
submissions should address the recommended determination by the ALJ on
remedy and bonding. Complainant is
[[Page 77492]]
also requested to submit proposed remedial orders for the Commission's
consideration. Complainant is also requested to state the date that the
patents expire and the HTSUS subheadings under which the accused
products are imported. The written submissions and proposed remedial
orders must be filed no later than close of business on Thursday,
January 3, 2014. Reply submissions must be filed no later than the
close of business on Thursday, January 10, 2014. The written
submissions must be no longer than 75 pages and the reply submissions
must be no longer than 35 pages. No further submissions on these issues
will be permitted unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.
Persons filing written submissions must do so in accordance with
Commission rule 210.4(f), 19 CFR 210.4(f), which requires electronic
filing. The original document and 8 true copies thereof must also be
filed on or before the deadlines stated above with the Office of the
Secretary. Any person desiring to submit a document to the Commission
in confidence must request confidential treatment unless the
information has already been granted such treatment during the
proceedings. All such requests should be directed to the Secretary of
the Commission and must include a full statement of the reasons why the
Commission should grant such treatment. See 19 CFR 210.6. Documents for
which confidential treatment by the Commission is sought will be
treated accordingly. All non-confidential written submissions will be
available for public inspection at the Office of the Secretary and on
EDIS.
The authority for the Commission's determination is contained in
section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337), and
in sections 210.42-46 and 210.50 of the Commission's Rules of Practice
and Procedure (19 CFR 210.42-46 and 210.50).
Issued: December 16, 2013.
By order of the Commission.
Lisa R. Barton,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2013-30318 Filed 12-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P