Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-02177/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-02177-31/pdf.json

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

---

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

3COM CORP,

Plaintiff,

v

REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP,

Defendant. /

No C 03-2177 VRW

ORDER

On March 20, 2008, 3Com Corporation (“3Com”) requested

guidance from the court whether it will preliminarily instruct the

jury regarding its finding that certain Realtek Semiconductor

Corporation (“Realtek”) products infringe claim 1 of United States

patent 5,307,459 (“the ‘459 patent”), claim 21 of United States

patent 5,434,872 (“the ‘872 patent”) and claim 28 of United States

patent 5,732,094 (“the ‘094 patent”).

The court will inform the jury of its findings. The

substance of the preliminary instruction on this matter will be:

I will first give you a summary of each side's

Case 3:03-cv-02177-VRW Document 655 Filed 03/21/08 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

contentions in this case. I will then tell you what each

side must prove to win on each of its contentions.

3Com seeks money damages from Realtek for

allegedly infringing the 3Com patents by making,

importing, selling, and offering for sale certain network

interface adapters that 3Com argues are covered by claim

1 of the '459 patent, claims 10 and 21 of the '872

patent, claims 28 and 47 of the '094 patent and/or claim

1 of the '884 patent. These claims may be referred to as

the "asserted claims." 3Com also argues that Realtek has

actively induced infringement of the asserted claims by

others and contributed to the infringement of these

claims.

The Realtek products that are alleged to

infringe the 3Com patents will be referred to as the

"accused Realtek products." Realtek' s accused products

can be organized into five product groups: I, II, III, IV

and V. 

3Com alleges that product groups I, II and III

infringe claim 1 of the '459 patent, that all of the

accused products infringe claims 10 and 21 of the '872

patent, that product groups I and II infringe claims 28

and 47 of the '094 patent and that product groups III, IV

and V infringe claim 1 of the '884 patent.

Realtek denies that it has infringed any of the

asserted claims of the 3Com patents and argues that, in

addition, all of the asserted claims are invalid. 

It has already been determined in other

proceedings that product groups I, II and III infringe

claim 1 of the '459 patent, that all of the accused

Realtek products infringe Claim 21 of the '872 patent and

that product groups I and II infringe claim 28 of the

'094 patent. You need not, therefore, consider the issue

of infringement with respect to those products and

claims. You will, however, have to consider Realtek’s

contentions that these claims are invalid. 

The previous determination of infringement of

certain claims does not indicate an opinion of the court

as to the issues that you are to decide and it should not

in any way affect your consideration of those issues. 

Your job will be to decide whether any or all

of the accused Realtek products infringe claim 10 of the

'872 patent, whether product group I or product group II

infringe claim 47 of the '094 patent and whether product

groups III, IV or V infringe claim 1 of the '884 patent. 

In addition, you will need to decide whether any of the

asserted claims are invalid. 

Case 3:03-cv-02177-VRW Document 655 Filed 03/21/08 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

3

If you decide that any asserted claim is not

invalid and either (1) you decide that such claim has

been infringed or (2) it has already been determined in

other proceedings that such claim was infringed, you will

then need to decide any money damages to be awarded to

3Com to compensate it for the infringement. You will

also need to make a finding whether the infringement was

willful. If you decide that any infringement was

willful, that decision should not affect any damage award

you give. I will take willfulness into account in later

proceedings.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

 

VAUGHN R WALKER

United States District Chief Judge

Case 3:03-cv-02177-VRW Document 655 Filed 03/21/08 Page 3 of 3