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RPX’s numbers show that Yates filed more than 500 infringement suits in 2015-16, making him one of the most active plaintiffs in both years. He went off the radar somewhat in early 2017 after Judge Gilstrap in the Eastern District of Texas heavily criticised the Yates corporate vehicle Iris Connex, which he said was pursuing a meritless case against Dell. The judge ordered it to pay $355,000 in attorney fees and costs, and $152,000 in sanctions. You can see an excellent analysis from RPX of Yates’s litigation history here(registration required).
(RL)
Huawei revealed as major source of iPEL’s Chinese patents
You can add Huawei to the list of companies that has sold iPEL patents. A search of SIPO’s patent assignment database turns up over 600 total Chinese assets owned by an entity with a Chinese name translating to Global Innovation Aggregators, the same vehicle used to record iPEL-linked transactions in the United States. Among these are over 300 invention patent grants and 300 published applications. While 225 total assets list ZTE as the original applicant, it looks as though three separate Huawei-owned entities contributed 385 rights in total to iPEL’s Chinese affiliate.
The fact that a large share of iPEL’s portfolio originates from Huawei is a major development. The Shenzhen-based telecoms and smartphone giant has gained a reputation as China's most sophisticated IP player, and it has already enjoyed considerable success litigating its own patent rights against global competitors like Samsung in Chinese courts. While it has transferred patents to domestic NPEs in the past, this is its first known deal with a foreign assertion entity. This development is something that will make the entire IP market sit up and take notice.
In his interview with
IAM
last week, Yates was clear that all of iPEL’s Chinese patents were bought outright, without profit-sharing mechanisms with former owners. That means Huawei doesn’t stand to benefit directly from any Chinese litigation that occurs. But I wonder if a direct association with the company may have helped the perception of a US-based NPE that is making a lot of noise in a country that's on icy terms with the Trump administration.
(JS)
