Opinion ID: 3178457
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Alcatel Cross-License

Text: In 1996, AT&T granted a nonexclusive license to a portfolio of patents—including the asserted patents—to Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d’Electricite S.A. (“Alcatel”). Joint Appendix (“J.A.”) 5394–5405. The license agreement automatically extended sublicenses to current and future subsidiaries of both AT&T and Alcatel. J.A. 5396; see District Court Decision, 53 F. Supp. 3d at 801. The agreement only extended, however, to “products and services of the kinds which [were] furnished or used” by AT&T and Alcatel, or their related companies, on the effective date of the agreement. J.A. 5395. In 2006, following a reverse triangular merger, Lucent and Alcatel combined to form Alcatel-Lucent, S.A. (“Alcatel-Lucent”). Alcatel USA Marketing Inc. (“Alcatel Marketing”) was a subsidiary of Alcatel. See District Court Decision, 53 F. Supp. 3d at 801. In 2008, Alcatel Marketing merged with an Alcatel-Lucent subsidiary to form Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc. (“Alcatel U.S.”).