Amazon.com 2012 Annual Report Download - page 71

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U.S Patent No. 7,802,310, entitled “Controlling Access To Data In A Data Processing System”; U.S. Patent
No. 7,945,539, entitled “Distributing And Accessing Data In A Data Processing System”; U.S. Patent
No. 7,945,544, entitled “Similarity-Based Access Control Of Data In A Data Processing System”; U.S. Patent
No. 7,949,662, entitled “De-Duplication Of Data In A Data Processing System”; and U.S Patent No. 8,001,096,
entitled “Computer File System Using Content-Dependent File Identifiers.” The complaint seeks an unspecified
amount of damages, interest, attorneys’ fees, and an injunction. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and
intend to vigorously defend ourselves in this matter.
In December 2011, Round Rock Research, LLC filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. in the United
States District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint alleges, among other things, that “RFID
products” and “Kindle products with unlicensed DRAM” infringe U.S. Patent Nos. 5,500,650 and 5,627,544,
entitled “Data Communication Method Using Identification Protocol”; U.S. Patent No. 5,974,078, entitled
“Modulated Spread Spectrum In RF Identification Systems Method”; U.S. Patent No. 6,459,726, entitled
“Backscatter Interrogators, Communication Systems And Backscatter Communication Methods”; U.S. Patent
No. RE41,531, entitled “Communications Systems For Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)”; U.S. Patent
Nos. 6,975,556 and 7,106,646, entitled “Circuit And Method For Controlling A Clock Synchronizing Circuit For
Low Power Refresh Operation”; U.S. Patent No. 7,221,020, entitled “Method To Construct A Self Aligned
Recess Gate For DRAM Access Devices”; and U.S. Patent No. 7,389,369, entitled “Active Termination
Control.” In February 2012, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint that further alleges, among other things, that
Kindle products allegedly including “unlicensed flash memory” infringe U.S. Patent No. 5,801,985, entitled
“Memory System Having Programmable Control Parameters” and U.S. Patent No. 5,880,996, entitled “Memory
System Having Non-Volatile Data Storage Structure For Memory Control Parameters And Method.” The
complaint seeks an unspecified amount of damages, enhanced damages, interest, and attorneys’ fees. In April
2012, the case was stayed pending reexamination of ten of the asserted patents. We dispute the allegations of
wrongdoing and intend to vigorously defend ourselves in this matter.
In March 2012, OIP Technologies, Inc. filed a complaint against us for patent infringement in the United
States District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint alleged, among other things, that
certain aspects of our pricing methods infringed U.S. Patent No. 7,970,713, entitled “Method and Apparatus for
Automatic Pricing in Electronic Commerce.” The complaint sought three times an unspecified amount of
damages, attorneys’ fees, and interest. In September 2012, the Court invalidated the plaintiff’s patent and
dismissed the case with prejudice. In September 2012, OIP appealed the judgment of the district court to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which, in November 2012, stayed all proceedings pending
its decision in a separate case that raises a related question of law.
In May 2012, Clouding IP, LLC f/k/a/ STEC IP, LLC filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. and
Amazon Web Services, LLC in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint
alleges, among other things, that our “Elastic Compute Cloud,” “WhisperSync,” “Virtual Private Cloud,” “Cloud
Drive,” and “Kindle Store” services infringe one or more of 11 patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 7,596,784, entitled
“Method System and Apparatus for Providing Pay-Per-Use Distributed Computing Resources”; 7,065,637,
entitled “System for Configuration of Dynamic Computing Environments Using a Visual Interface”; 6,738,799,
entitled “Methods and Apparatuses for File Synchronization and Updating Using a Signature List”; 5,944,839,
entitled “System and Method for Automatically Maintaining A Computer System”; 5,825,891, entitled “Key
Management for Network Communication”; 5,495,607, entitled “Network Management System Having Virtual
Catalog Overview of Files Distributively Stored Across Network Domain”; 6,925,481, entitled “Technique for
Enabling Remote Data Access And Manipulation From A Pervasive Device”; 7,254,621, entitled “Technique for
Enabling Remote Data Access And Manipulation From A Pervasive Device”; 6,631,449, entitled “Dynamic
Distributed Data System and Method”; 6,918,014, entitled “Dynamic Distributed Data System and Method”; and
6,963,908, entitled “System for Transferring Customized Hardware and Software Settings from One Computer to
Another Computer to Provide Personalized Operating Environments.” The complaint seeks an unspecified
amount of damages together with interest. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to vigorously
defend ourselves in this matter.
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