Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-01179/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-01179-27/pdf.json

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

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DEFENDANTS’ REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL 

JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE [41293-0001/BY062070.065] 

CASE NO. C 03-01179 JSW / CONS. CASE NO. C03-3905 JSW

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KENNETH B. WILSON, State Bar No. 130009 

 kwilson@perkinscoie.com 

SCOTT D. EADS, Oregon State Bar No. 91040, admitted pro hac vice 

 seads@perkinscoie.com 

ELIZABETH SCHWARTZ, Oregon State Bar No. 96112, admitted pro hac vice 

 eschwartz@perkinscoie.com 

DIETER H. HELLMOLDT, State Bar No. 221498 

 dhellmoldt@perkinscoie.com 

PERKINS COIE LLP 

Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 2400 

San Francisco, CA 94111-4131 

Phone: (415) 344-7000 

Facsimile: (415) 344-7050 

Attorneys for Defendants 

CRYSTAL MAGIC, INC., JIMAC MARKETING, INC., 

CERION GMBH, AND VITRO LASER GMBH 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

LASER DESIGN INTERNATIONAL, LLC; and 

NORWOOD OPERATING COMPANY, 

 Plaintiff, 

 v. 

CRYSTAL MAGIC, INC., a Florida corporation; 

JIMAC MARKETING, INC., a Canadian 

corporation, CERION GMBH, a German limited 

liability company; and VITRO LASER GMBH, a 

German limited liability company, 

 Defendants 

Case No. C 03-01179 JSW 

Consolidated with No. C 03-3905 JSW

DEFENDANTS’ REQUEST FOR 

INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL 

ASSISTANCE 

AND RELATED COUNTERCLAIMS 

Case 3:03-cv-01179-JSW Document 380 Filed 07/31/06 Page 1 of 6
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DEFENDANTS’ REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL 

JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE [41293-0001/BY062070.065] 

CASE NO. C 03-01179 JSW / CONS. CASE NO. C03-3905 JSW

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LETTER OF REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE 

(LETTER ROGATORY) 

FROM: THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN 

DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

TO: QUÉBEC SUPERIOR COURT 

 The United States District Court for the Northern District of California presents its 

complements to the Québec Superior Court, Québec, Canada and requests International Judicial 

Assistance to obtain evidence to be used at trial in a civil proceeding pending before this court in 

the above-captioned matter. 

I. THE PARTIES AND THE LITIGATION 

1. This action arises out of, inter alia, claims by Plaintiffs Laser Design International LLC 

(“LDI”) and Norwood Operating Company (“Norwood”) (hereinafter, “Plaintiffs”) against 

Defendants Crystal Magic, Inc., Jimac Marketing, Inc., Cerion GmbH, and Vitro Laser GmbH 

(hereinafter, “Defendants”). Plaintiffs claim that Defendants have allegedly infringed United 

States Patent No. 5,206,496-C1 (“‘496-C1 Patent”) for which Plaintiff LDI is the alleged owner 

and possessor of all rights, title, and interest and Plaintiff Norwood is the alleged owner of an 

exclusive license from LDI to make, use, or dispose of articles within the decorative field of use. 

The claims are more fully set forth in the Plaintiffs’ Second Amended Consolidated Complaint, 

attached hereto as Exhibit A. 

2. A complete list of counsel for the parties to this litigation is attached hereto as Exhibit B. 

In addition, Defendants have appointed Me Stephanie Lapierre of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin 

LLP, The Stock Exchange Tower, Suite 3400, P.O. Box 242, Victoria Square, Montreal, Québec, 

H4Z 1E9, Canada as its Canadian counsel to present this Letter of Request to your Honorable 

court and to make any necessary application on its behalf for the purposes of summoning the 

witness for a deposition described in this Letter of Request. 

3. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants infringe the ‘496-C1 Patent. Defendants deny this 

allegation on the basis of, in part, certain prior art objects which they have recently discovered. 

Case 3:03-cv-01179-JSW Document 380 Filed 07/31/06 Page 2 of 6
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DEFENDANTS’ REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL 

JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE [41293-0001/BY062070.065] 

CASE NO. C 03-01179 JSW / CONS. CASE NO. C03-3905 JSW

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One such prior art object is a laser-inscribed Lucite block hereinafter refered to as “the ABBA 

block.” A photograph of the ABBA block is attached hereto as Exhibit C. 

4. Mr. Bernard Bolduc is the President of BCH Unique, Inc. (“BCH Unique”), a company 

that produces and distributes, inter alia, laser-inscribed products. During the late to mid 1980s, 

BCH Unique contacted a company called Control Laser Corporation (“CLC”) to investigate the 

possibility of purchasing a laser to produce such products, which were called “Lasergrams.” 

According to the sworn testimony of a former CLC employee, the ABBA block was a sample 

made by CLC for BCH Unique to prove the capabilities of CLC's laser apparatuses. BCH 

Unique eventually did purchase from CLC a laser apparatus similar to the apparatus used to 

produce the ABBA block. This CLC laser apparatus is called the InstaMark Laser 

Marking/Engraving System ("the InstaMark Laser"). BCH Unique has, for many years, 

produced its own laser-marked products using this system. It is testimony and documents 

regarding the ABBA block, other laser-inscribed products produced by BCH Unique during the 

time period before the August 1991 filing date of the ‘496-C1 Patent, and the InstaMark Laser 

used to make them that Defendants seek through this Letter of Request. Defendants believe that 

this evidence is highly relevant to their defense that the '496-C1 patent is invalid over the prior 

art. 

II. THE NEED FOR JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE 

5. This Court has found that justice cannot be completely done between the parties without 

the testimony of a certain witness residing within your jurisdiction and without certain 

documents within that witnesses possession. 

6. We understand and appreciate the evidence expected to be obtained, and we have been 

satisfied that this request is required to produce the necessary evidence at trial. The evidence 

requested herein is for use at the trial of this action and will, if obtained, be introduced at trial. 

Case 3:03-cv-01179-JSW Document 380 Filed 07/31/06 Page 3 of 6
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DEFENDANTS’ REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL 

JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE [41293-0001/BY062070.065] 

CASE NO. C 03-01179 JSW / CONS. CASE NO. C03-3905 JSW

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III. PROTECTIVE ORDER 

7. A protective order has been entered in this case which guards against the disclosure of 

sensitive or confidential information except for the purposes of this litigation. A true and correct 

copy of this order is attached hereto as Exhibit D. All evidence, including the testimony and any 

documents provided, obtained pursuant to this request shall be subject to the provisions of the 

above-described order. 

IV. REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE 

8. We therefore request that in the interest of justice you cause, by your proper and usual 

process and pursuant to the laws of your jurisdiction, the witness named below to appear before 

you, for the purpose of giving a deposition upon oral examination, and that the witness bring 

with them and produce at the examination the documents described below within their custody or 

control. 

A. NAME AND ADDRESS OF WITNESS TO BE SERVED 

Bernard Bolduc 

President 

BCH Unique, Inc. 

Home: 11225, 9th Avenue 

St-Georges (Québec) Canada G5Y 1J1 

Office: 38 Avenue du Pont 

Saint-Martin de Beauce, Québec, Canada G0M 1B0 

B. DESCRIPTION OF TOPICS FOR ORAL EXAMINATION OF THE 

WITNESS 

Mr. Bolduc is to be examined regarding the topics relating to the time period 1986 

through and including 1991 (“Relevant Time Period”): 

(1) The Instamark Elite Laser Marking/Engraving System, serial number 

8714A74159, purchased in or about 1988 from Control Laser Corporation 

of Orlando, Florida; 

(2) The method(s) used by BCH Unique to manufacture Lasergram products; 

 

(3) The method(s) used by LMC to manufacture Lasergram products; 

(4) The design and structure of Lasergram products manufactured or sold by 

BCH Unique; 

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DEFENDANTS’ REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL 

JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE [41293-0001/BY062070.065] 

CASE NO. C 03-01179 JSW / CONS. CASE NO. C03-3905 JSW

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(5) Sales of Lasergram products by BCH Unique in the United States and 

Canada; 

(6) The ABBA block; and 

(7) All communications with Plaintiffs concerning this lawsuit. 

C. DESCRIPTION OF DOCUMENTS OR OTHER EVIDENCE TO BE

PRODUCED 

Mr. Bolduc is requested to produce the following documents generated during the 

Relevant Time Period: 

(1) A sample of each Lasergram model produced or sold by BCH Unique; 

(2) All documents concerning the operation or performance of the Instamark 

Elite Laser Marking/Engraving System, serial number 8714A74159, 

purchased in or about 1988 from Control Laser Corporation of Orlando, 

Florida, including, but not limited to, operating manuals, instrument 

specifications, and manufacturing process instructions and/or 

specifications; and 

(3) Documents sufficient to show the design and structure of Lasergrams 

produced or sold during the Relevant Time Period, including but not 

limited to, sales catalogs. 

9. We further request that you permit the witness to be sworn under oath or solemn 

affirmation prior to giving testimony, that the aforementioned counsel of record for the 

Defendants, with the assistance of Stephanie Lapierre and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, be 

permitted to examine the witness; that the counsel of record for Plaintiffs, with the assistance of 

an attorney permitted to practice in your jurisdiction, be permitted to cross-examine the witness; 

and that a court reporter be permitted to transcribe the testimony of the witness and prepare a 

transcript. 

10. We further request that when the time and place for Execution of this Request has been 

designated, that you provide notice to the Clerk of the Court, United States District Court for the 

Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, Philip E. Burton Courthouse and Federal 

Bldg., 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA. It is further requested that 

notice be sent to the parties, through their designated representatives, whose addresses are 

provided in Exhibit B hereto. 

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DEFENDANTS’ REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL 

JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE [41293-0001/BY062070.065] 

CASE NO. C 03-01179 JSW / CONS. CASE NO. C03-3905 JSW

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11. Defendants will reimburse the judicial authorities of the Québec Superior Court for costs 

incurred in the execution of the letters rogatory. 

V. STATEMENT OF RECIPROCITY 

12. When the request it, this Court stands ready and willing to do the same for you in a 

similar case. 

This Letter of Request is signed and sealed for the United States District Court for the 

Northern District of California by the Honorable Maria-Elena James, United States Magistrate 

Judge. 

 Dated this ___________ day of ______________, 2006. 

______________________________________ 

Hon. Maria-Elena James 

United States Magistrate Judge 

The United States District Court for the Northern 

District of California, San Francisco Division 

San Francisco, California 

United States of America 

 

31st July

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

Judge Maria-Elena James

Case 3:03-cv-01179-JSW Document 380 Filed 07/31/06 Page 6 of 6