portfolio analysis

Intellectual Ventures’ investors hold prior art and precedent innovation which, if disclosed, could vastly alter the enforceability of patents asserted in the DRAM industry. We wonder whether their IP holdings or their equity in IV matters more.

In 1999 and 2000, DataTreasury Corporation received two business method patents covering its check-imaging technology. DataTreasury claims that it began negotiating a check-imaging joint venture with Chase Manhattan, but the bank launched a separate check image-processing venture called Viewpointe Archive Services, LLC.

The future security of the world’s freshwater supply is uncertain at best. With the world’s burgeoning population pushing the demand threshold of a limited freshwater supply, it is projected that one-third of all humans will face severe and chronic water shortages by the year 2025.

Companies around the world are making significant investments in the development of such technologies. Water desalination has emerged as a preferred solution to water shortages, particularly as technological advances make desalination processes an increasingly affordable and feasible option.

On January 12, 2011, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company filed a patent infringement lawsuit against a group of its competitors. The suit claims that Allstate, Liberty Mutual and Safeco have all infringed on Progressive’s U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,124,088 (hereafter ‘088) and 6,064,970. The patents in question describe and protect an online insurance policy system and vehicle monitoring system. Two weeks after the lawsuit was filed using patent ‘088, a continuation of this patent 7,877,269 (US ‘269) was granted to Progressive, containing largely similar claims.

On March 18, 2011, Imperium (IP) Holdings filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas accusing seven companies of infringing five of its patents. Imperium claims that LG, Kyocera, Nokia, Motorola Mobility, Apple, Sony and RIM have all committed infringement by manufacturing, selling or importing cell phones. The asserted patents all relate to image sensors and, in particular, photodiodes. Each of the five patents came to ESS Technology, Inc. as part of its 2003 acquisition of Pictos Technologies, Inc. from Conexant Systems, Inc.