Internet Patents Corporation Issues Comment Regarding USPTO Reexamination
09-Sep-2013
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SACRAMENTO, CA - Internet Patents Corporation (IPC), the owner of US Patent No. 6,898,597 ("the '597 patent") announced in a press release that it is preparing to defend its patent at the US Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") from an ex parte reexamination challenge brought by eBags, Inc. and TellApart, Inc.
On April 29, 2013, eBags and TellApart filed a request at the USPTO for an ex parte reexamination, challenging the validity of the '597 patent. IPC believes this reexamination request was merely a litigation tactic intended to slow down the lawsuit IPC had filed previously against eBags and TellApart for patent infringement in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. That court recently granted the defendants' request that the litigation be stayed pending the conclusion of the USPTO proceeding.
"Although we are disappointed that the defendants have chosen to delay the litigation, we continue to firmly believe in the strength of each our patents, including the '597 patent," said Hussein Enan, Chairman and CEO of Internet Patents Corporation. "We expect a positive outcome in the reexamination, which will further strengthen and enhance the value of the '597 patent. During the pendency of the reexamination process, which can take up to several years to complete, the claims of the '597 patent remain valid and in full force; however, our Board has chosen to defer filing additional suits alleging infringement of this patent during this time."
Headquartered in Sacramento, CA, Internet Patents Corporation operates a patent licensing business focused on its e-commerce technologies.