CEATS v. Continential Airlines, et al., 6:10cv120 (8/10/12)
Judge: Leonard Davis
Holding: Motions for Judgment as a Matter of Law DENIED
As readers will recall, after a seven day trial, a jury in Chief Judge Davis' court found infringement of the asserted claims of the patents in this case (the issue of willfulness was bifurcated for later determination by the Court) but that the patents were invalid as anticipated and obvious.
Judge Davis denied the plaintiff's motion for judgment as a matter of law, finding after a lengthy discussion of the riveting law on corroboration that the jury's verdict was not based solely on uncorroborated oral testimony "but on sufficiently corroborated evidence" and that there was a sufficient evidentiary basis and substantial evidence to support the jury’s verdict that the asserted claims of the patents-in-suit are invalid as anticipated and as obvious. He also denied CEATS' motion for new trial.
Judge Davis also denied defendant Airtran's JMOL motion on the infringement findings, as well as a similar motion by defendants Continental Airlines, Inc.., Ticketmaster, LLC, TicketsNow.com, TNow Entertainment Group, Inc., United Airlines, Inc., Delta Airlines, Inc., US Airways, Inc., JetBlue Airways Corp., Alaska Airlines, Inc., Horizon Air Industries, Inc. (d/b/a Horizon Air), and Virgin America, and by Defendants JetBlue and Alaska. The defendants' agreed motions for bill of costs was granted.
