Opinion ID: 4524477
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Lead Case

Text: On May 1, 2013, Golden filed the complaint in the Lead Case, alleging patent infringement by the government pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1498(a). The trial court allowed Golden to amend his complaint five times, and, with each amendment, Golden added claims of infringement of additional patents. Starting with the second amended complaint, Golden also included allegations of “Government Taking,” alleging that the government had “taken the subject matter, scope, technology rationale, devices schematics, processes, methods, procedures and systems of what is now Golden’s patents . . . for public use without just compensation.” SAppx1791–93. Golden alleged that the Claims Court had jurisdiction over his takings claims under 28 U.S.C. § 1491. SAppx1791. Noting that the takings claims appeared to be duplicative of the patent infringement claims, the trial court initially stayed Golden’s takings claims, “pending determination of liability for the Government’s alleged patent infringement.” SAppx1794 (citing Zoltek Corp. v. United States, 672 F.3d 1309 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (en banc)). On August 10, 2017, Golden filed his fifth and final amended complaint in the Lead Case. SAppx2040. This voluminous filing included a general “Count I,” alleging “Fifth Amendment Takings” of nine of Golden’s patents. SAppx2065–67. 2 It also included additional specific “Count Is,” which recite takings allegations tailored to the use of specific electronic devices. See, e.g., SAppx2069–70 (LG 2 Specifically, Golden alleged taking of the “subject matter as outlined in” his U.S. Patent Nos. 7,385,497; 7,636,033; 8,106,752; 8,334,761; 8,531,280; RE43,891; RE43,990; 9,096,189; and 9,589,439. SAppx2065. Case: 19-2134 Document: 37 Page: 4 Filed: 04/10/2020 4 GOLDEN v. UNITED STATES Electronics G5 Smartphone), SAppx2071–73 (LG Electronics V10 Smartphone), SAppx2074–75 (Apple’s iPhone/iPad Camera Biosensor for Facial Heart Rate Monitor). The complaint similarly included corresponding “Count IIs”— patent infringement claims under 28 U.S.C. § 1498 referencing the same electronic devices. See, e.g., SAppx2067– 69; SAppx2070–71; SAppx2073–74; SAppx2075–76. 3 On March 29, 2018, the Claims Court issued a memo- randum opinion and order, granting-in-part the government’s motion for partial dismissal of the Lead Case and denying Golden’s motion for leave to file a motion for summary judgment. Golden v. United States, 137 Fed. Cl. 155, 159 (2018) (dismissing certain patent infringement claims). Golden appealed the partial dismissal opinion to this court. SAppx2301. We dismissed the appeal as premature because the Claims Court had not yet issued a final decision or judgment in the Lead Case. Order, Golden v. United States, No. 2018-1942 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 1, 2018); Order, Golden v. United States, No. 2018-1942 (Fed. Cir. May 31, 2018). In November 2018, the Claims Court lifted the stay on Golden’s takings claims in the Lead Case, “[t]o pursue efficient resolution of all claims in th[e] case[.]” SAppx2303–4. The court permitted the government to file a motion to dismiss those claims. SAppx2304. On May 8, 2019, the trial court granted the government’s motion and dismissed Golden’s takings claims. Golden v. United States, No. 13-307C, 2019 WL 2056662, at  (Fed. Cl. May 8, 2019). 3 Golden’s generic patent infringement “Count II” referenced the same nine patents as his takings claims, as well as his Continuation Patent Application No. 15/530,839, which later issued as U.S. Patent No. 10,163,287. SAppx2067–69. Case: 19-2134 Document: 37 Page: 5 Filed: 04/10/2020 GOLDEN v. UNITED STATES 5 Certain patent infringement allegations from the Lead Case have not yet been resolved, however. SAppx2303. The case is stayed pending resolution of Golden’s petition in an inter partes review proceeding affecting one of the patents at issue in the Lead Case. SAppx2339–40. The court’s rulings on the takings claims in the Lead Case are, accordingly, not yet ripe for appeal to this court.