MARSHALL, Texas (Legal Newsline) - A Texas company earlier this week filed lawsuits against Sega, Electronic Arts and two mobile game developers for allegedly infringing on its “dynamic hosting” patent.
Telinit Technologies LLC, located in Marshall, Texas, filed its lawsuits against the two video game developers and Doodle Mobile Ltd. and Concrete Software Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas Monday.
The federal court has become a popular venue for patent infringement cases because of its set of local rules for such cases and rather fast trial settings.
Telinit alleges in its complaints that the developers infringed on U.S. Patent No. 7,016,942. The patent, entitled “Dynamic Hosting,” was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in March 2006.
The company is the current owner of the patent; however, the previous assignee of record was inventor Gary Odom, according to PTO documents filed along with the complaints.
The invention claimed in the ‘942 patent includes a computer-implemented method for channeling data through a network from an initial server or client connection to direct communication between two client computers.
The method includes at least two computers connecting through a network to a static server, which can be accessed through a predesignated address. The computers can be identified as a first computer and a second computer.
The before-mentioned computers establish a communication session with the static server at a time in which both computers are not presently communicating with each other.
Once that connection with the static server is established, the first computer transmits initial data to the second computer through the static server.
Afterwards, and while maintaining network connectivity to said static server, the first computer directly transmits a second data to said second computer without said static server intervening.
Alternatively, the method includes the above-mentioned steps and a static server evaluating at least one operational characteristic of the first computer, where the static server selects said first computer as a dynamic host.
“The infringing products, including, but not limited to, ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ (the ‘Infringing Products’), use a real-time multiplayer API to connect multiple players in a single game session and transfer data messages between connected players,” lawyers for Telinit wrote.
“The Infringing Products employ a network of computers that channel data (video games) using both an initial client-to-server connection and then a direct player-to-player (client-to-client) communication.”
As a result of the developers’ infringement, Telinit argues it has suffered monetary damages and is entitled to a judgment in an amount “adequate to compensate” for the developers’ past infringement.
The company also contends it will continue to suffer damages in the future if the developers’ infringing activities are not enjoined by the court.
It seeks a jury trial and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest and costs, and requests the developers pay enhanced damages, including its attorneys’ fees.
The Davis Firm PC, based in Longview, Texas, is representing Telinit.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at patents@legalnewsline.com.