Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-04636/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-04636-6/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 830
Nature of Suit: Patent
Cause of Action: 35:271 Patent Infringement

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SEER SYSTEMS, INC.,

Plaintiff,

 v.

BEATNIK, INC., et al.

Defendants. /

No. C-03-04636 JSW (EDL)

ORDER GRANTING IN PART

DEFENDANT MICROSOFT’S MOTION

TO COMPEL

On March 27, 2006, Microsoft filed a motion to compel in this patent infringement case. For

the reasons set forth at the hearing on May 2, 2006, the motion to compel is granted in part as

follows:

1. No later than May 11, 2006, Seer Systems shall provide its supplemental privilege log and a

supplemental privilege log from patent prosecution counsel Carr & Ferrell. The privilege

logs shall conform with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Court’s standing order

regarding discovery in preparing the privilege logs. 

2. No later than May 11, 2006, Seer Systems shall supplement its responses to Microsoft’s

interrogatory numbers five and sixteen.

3. No later than May 11, 2006, Seer Systems shall produce documents responsive to the April

1, 2005 subpoena served on Ian Grant. However, as described below, responsive documents

from Mr. Grant relating to the Code Hotel shall be produced no later than June 1, 2006. 

4. No later than May 11, 2006, Seer Systems shall produce all mediation or negotiation

documents, such as mediation statements and demand letters, relating to Seer Systems’

settlement with Beatnik that were received from or disclosed to Beatnik during settlement

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discussions. Seer Systems need not produce documents that were only sent to the mediator

and not to Beatnik. No later than June 1, 2006, Seer Systems shall provide a privilege log

listing any documents withheld from production on the grounds of attorney-client privilege

or the work product doctrine. The privilege log shall include communications between trial

counsel and Seer Systems regarding the negotiation process and the settlement with Beatnik

made up until the time that the settlement was finalized, but not thereafter. If Seer Systems

elects not to rely on the Beatnik settlement as evidence in this case, it must memorialize that

election in writing to Microsoft and it need not produce further documents or a privilege log.

5. No later than May 11, 2006, Seer Systems shall produce product samples including

prototypes. 

6. With respect to Microsoft’s request for production of documents number 86, Microsoft shall

immediately confirm that all prior art references in number 86 were disclosed in the Beatnik

or Microsoft Preliminary Invalidity Contentions, and shall revise the document request

accordingly if necessary. No later than May 9, 2006, Seer Systems shall determine the

extent of the documents that will need to be searched to respond to this request. Thereafter,

the parties shall meet and confer regarding production of documents in response to number

86. Microsoft’s proposal at the hearing for production appears to be reasonable unless Seer

Systems determines that the universe of documents to be searched is vast. 

7. With respect to Microsoft’s request for production of documents number 92, Seer Systems

shall produce documents related to the topics contained in number 92, specifically, Mr.

Jungleib’s and/or Seer Systems’ work in the field of computer generated music and MIDI,

Mr. Jungleib’s and Seer Systems’ prior work in the area, Mr. Jungleib’s involvement with

the MIDI manufacturers’ association, the book on MIDI that Mr. Jungleib authored and

published, and Mr. Jungleib’s and Seer Systems’ general reputation in the field of computer

generated music and MIDI, which Seer Systems contends support its allegation of

willfulness, and, at a minimum, Seer Systems shall produce documents sufficient to show

these topics. Responsive documents and any privilege log shall be produced no later than

June 1, 2006. 

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8. With respect to Microsoft’s request for production of documents number 100, Seer Systems

shall produce non-privileged documents reflecting the contents of the Code Hotel as to Seer

Systems’ invention at issue in this case, documents relating to prototypes and other efforts to

develop products that embody the invention and the revision history for the software code

including entries made to the code, from the alleged date of conception of the invention. 

Responsive documents and any privilege log shall be produced no later than June 1, 2006. 

Seer Systems represented that Ian Grant may have the Code Hotel hard drive. To the extent

that Mr. Grant has responsive documents, he shall produce them. If neither Mr. Grant nor

Seer Systems has responsive documents, or if the Code Hotel no longer exists, Seer Systems

shall serve a declaration from the person most knowledgeable at Seer Systems explaining the

diligent search made for responsive documents, and detailing the destruction of the Code

Hotel, no later than June 1, 2006. 

9. With respect to Microsoft’s request for production of documents number 103, Seer Systems

shall produce any agreements pertaining to nondisclosure or confidentiality for the persons

listed in number 103. Seer Systems shall also produce non-privileged documents that reflect

the roles of the persons listed in number 103 in conceiving and reducing to practice the ‘274

patent. Seer Systems shall answer an interrogatory from Microsoft regarding whether the

persons listed in number 103 had stock or stock options or were highly-paid, as defined by

Microsoft. Responsive documents and any privilege log shall be produced no later than June

1, 2006. 

10. With respect to Microsoft’s request for production of documents numbers 116 and 117, Seer

Systems has already been ordered in paragraph nine to produce documents showing the roles

of the persons listed in numbers 116 and 117 in conceiving and reducing to practice the ‘274

patent. Examples of types of documents that Seer Systems must produce include software,

flowcharts, notes, electronic documents in the software environment that reflect code entries

and comments to code by the persons listed in numbers 116 and 117 and non-privileged

documents such as specifications provided to patent prosecution counsel. Responsive

documents and any privilege log shall be produced no later than June 1, 2006. 

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11. With respect to Microsoft’s request for production of documents number 119, Seer Systems

stated at the hearing that it had produced all responsive documents. If so, Seer Systems shall

serve a declaration to that effect from the person most knowledgeable at Seer Systems

regarding the diligent search made for documents. If not, Seer Systems shall produce all

responsive non-privileged documents. The declaration or further responsive documents shall

be produced no later than June 1, 2006. 

12. With respect to Microsoft’s request for production of documents number 121, Seer Systems

represented that it has produced the two licensing agreements referenced in request 121. 

Similar to the Court’s ruling in paragraph four above with respect to the beatnik documents,

Seer Systems shall also produce non-privileged documents that were exchanged between the

parties to the licenses showing the negotiation process leading up to the issuance of the

licenses. Any privileged documents shall be listed on a privilege log. To the extent that Seer

Systems claims that there are no further responsive documents, it shall serve a declaration to

that effect from the person most knowledgeable at Seer Systems regarding the diligent search

made for documents. Responsive documents and/or the declaration and any privilege log

shall be produced no later than June 1, 2006. 

13. No later than June 8, 2006, Seer Systems shall confirm whether its production for document

request numbers 15, 27, 31-33, 45, 50, 53, 54, 60-65, 79, 103 and 104 is complete. 

14. The Court instructs the parties to meet and confer as soon as possible regarding electronic

discovery, including search protocols and format for production.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 3, 2006 

ELIZABETH D. LAPORTE

United States Magistrate Judge

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