Notice2022-09818
Certain Routers, Access Points, Controllers, Network Management Devices, Other Networking Products, and Hardware and Software Components Thereof; Commission Determination To Review in Part a Final Initial Determination Finding No Violation of Section 337 and, on Review, To Affirm the Finding of No Violation; Termination of the Investigation
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 6, 2022
Issuing agencies
International Trade Commission
Abstract
Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined to review in part a final initial determination ("ID") issued by the presiding administrative law judge ("ALJ") on December 7, 2021, finding no violation of section 337 in the above-referenced investigation and, on review, to affirm the finding of no violation. The investigation is terminated.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 88 (Friday, May 6, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27182-27183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09818]
[[Page 27182]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 337-TA-1227]
Certain Routers, Access Points, Controllers, Network Management
Devices, Other Networking Products, and Hardware and Software
Components Thereof; Commission Determination To Review in Part a Final
Initial Determination Finding No Violation of Section 337 and, on
Review, To Affirm the Finding of No Violation; Termination of the
Investigation
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 a final initial
determination (``ID'') issued by the presiding administrative law judge
(``ALJ'') on December 7, 2021, finding no violation of section 337 in
the above-referenced investigation and, on review, to affirm the
finding of no violation. The investigation is terminated.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Liberman, Esq., Office of the
General Counsel, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202) 205-2392. Copies of non-
confidential documents filed in connection with this investigation may
be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at <a href="https://edis.usitc.gov">https://edis.usitc.gov</a>. For help accessing EDIS, please email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#591c1d100a6a113c3529192c2a302d3a773e362f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a3f3e332949321f160a3a0f09130e19541d150c">[email protected]</span></a>. General information concerning the Commission may
also be obtained by accessing its internet server at <a href="https://www.usitc.gov">https://www.usitc.gov</a>. 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: On October 28, 2020, the Commission
instituted this investigation under section 337 of the Tariff Act of
1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, based on a complaint filed by Q3
Networking LLC of Frisco, Texas (``Q3''). 85 FR 68367-68 (Oct. 28,
2020). The complaint alleged a violation of section 337 in the
importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the
sale within the United States after importation of certain routers,
access points, controllers, network management devices, other
networking products, and hardware and software components thereof by
reason of infringement of certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 7,609,677
(``the '677 patent''); 7,895,305 (``the '305 patent''); 8,797,853
(``the '853 patent''); and 7,457,627 (``the '627 patent''). The
complaint also alleged the existence of a domestic industry. The notice
of investigation named as respondents: CommScope Holding Company, Inc.
of Hickory, North Carolina; CommScope, Inc. of Hickory, North Carolina;
Arris US Holdings, Inc. of Suwanee, Georgia; Ruckus Wireless, Inc. of
Sunnyvale, California; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. of Palo Alto,
California; Aruba Networks, Inc. of Santa Clara, California; and
Netgear, Inc. of San Jose, California (collectively, ``Respondents'').
Id. at 68368. The Commission's Office of Unfair Import Investigations
was not named as a party in this investigation. Id.
Subsequently, the Commission permitted complainant to amend the
complaint and notice of investigation to correct the corporate name of
respondent Aruba Networks, Inc. to respondent Aruba Networks, LLC.
Order 15 (Mar. 5, 2021), unreviewed by Notice (Mar. 22, 2021). The
Commission also partially terminated the investigation by withdrawal of
the '627 patent. Order No. 26 (July 1, 2021), unreviewed by Notice
(Jul. 26, 2021).
On December 7, 2021, the ALJ issued the final ID in this
investigation, holding that no violation of section 337 has occurred in
the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or
the sale within the United States after importation, of certain
routers, access points, controllers, network management devices, other
networking products, and hardware and software components thereof by
reason of infringement of claims 1-6 of the '677 patent; claims 1 and 8
of the '305 patent; and claims 1-9 of the '853 patent.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ By failing to assert that Respondents infringe claims 2-3,
5, 6, 9, and 11-14 of the '305 patent and claim 8 of the '677 patent
in its prehearing and posthearing briefs Complainant abandoned the
above-referenced claims under Ground Rule 7(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ID found that the accused products do not infringe the asserted
claims of any of the asserted patents. The ID also found that the
domestic industry requirement (both technical and economic prongs) has
not been satisfied with respect to the '853, '305, and '677 patents.
The ID further found that it has not been shown by clear and convincing
evidence that the asserted claims of the '853, '305, and '677 patents
are invalid.
On December 20, 2021, Complainant Q3 filed a petition for review of
various portions of the ID. Also, on December 20, 2021, Respondents
filed a contingent petition for review of various portions of the ID.
On December 28, 2021, both Respondents and Complainant filed replies in
response to the petition for review and the contingent petition for
review, respectively.
Having examined the record in this investigation, including the
final ID, the petitions for review, and the responses thereto, the
Commission has determined to review in part the ID (1) with respect to
the economic prong of the domestic industry requirement, and on review,
to take no position, and (2) in order to correct certain non-
substantive citation errors pertaining to the ID's technical prong
findings regarding the '305 patent, and on review, to correct those
errors. Specifically, the Commission cites to the following questions
and answers from RX-1210C on pages 166-73 of the ID: (i) Q/A 17 instead
of Q/A 16 in the first full paragraph on page 166; (ii) Q/A 32 instead
of Q/A 28 on lines 3 and 10 in the first full paragraph on page 167;
(iii) Q/A 24 instead of Q/A 22 in the first paragraph on page 168; (iv)
Q/A 25 instead of Q/A 23 in the second paragraph on page 168; (v) Q/A
26 instead of Q/A 24 in the first paragraph on page 169; (vi) Q/A 29
instead of Q/A 28 in the second paragraph on page 169; (vii) Q/A 21-27
& 29 instead of Q/A 19-25 on page 169; (viii) Q/A 33-35 instead of Q/A
29-32 and Q/A 35 instead of Q/A 31 in the first paragraph on page 170
of the ID; (ix) Q/A 35 instead of Q/A 29-32 in the second paragraph on
page 170 of the ID; (x) Q/A 35-36 instead of Q/A 32 in the first
paragraph on page 171 of the ID; (xi) Q/A 37 instead of Q/A 33 in the
second paragraph on page 171 of the ID, in the first full paragraph on
page 172 of the ID, and in the first paragraph of page 173; and (xii)
Q/A 38-41 instead of Q/A 34-37 and Q/A 39 instead of Q/A 35 in the last
paragraph on page 173. The Commission has determined not to review the
remainder of the ID, including the ID's finding of no violation of
section 337 in this investigation.<SUP>2 3</SUP>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ With respect to the '853 patent, Vice Chair Stayin would
review the ID's claim construction of the term ``overall
transmission capacity,'' and find the term should be given its plain
and ordinary meaning. Nonetheless, Vice Chair Stayin agrees that
even under this revised construction the accused products do not
infringe the asserted claims of the '853 patent, and the domestic
industry products do not practice the claims of the '853 patent, for
many of the reasons articulated in the ID. Accordingly, he joins the
Commission's decision to affirm the ID's findings of no violation as
to the '853 patent.
\3\ Chair Kearns and Vice Chair Stayin note that they do not
read anything in the ID (see, e.g., ID at 207 and 260-61) as
foreclosing a finding of a violation of section 337, under
appropriate facts, based on direct infringement by a respondent
where the accused article is combined post-importation with other
articles to infringe an asserted patent claim.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 27183]]
The investigation is hereby terminated.
The Commission vote for this determination took place on May 3,
2022.
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 Part 210 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR
part 210.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: May 3, 2022.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2022-09818 Filed 5-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 6, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.