- within Litigation and Mediation & Arbitration topic(s)
Ricoh Company Limited has filed a Delaware against Zoom Communications (1:25-cv-01095), asserting seven patents broadly directed to various aspects of videoconferencing technology. The plaintiff targets the provision of its "cloud-based communication and collaboration products and services", including "Zoom Meetings, Zoom Rooms, Zoom Sessions, Zoom Webinars, Zoom Whiteboard, and Zoom Cloud Recording", pleading that the alleged infringement has been willful. Ricoh points to a notice letter to Zoom as early as April 2024, as well as Zoom's alleged citation to Ricoh's patents in its own prosecution activity.
Ricoh pleads that the asserted patents (10,904,487; 10,909,059; 10,931,917; 11,256,454; 11,289,093; 11,516,278; 11,546,548) grew out of work on its "groundbreaking development of a portable, cloud-based video conferencing system—the Ricoh Unified Communication System (UCS), launched in 2011", which purportedly "serves as a milestone in the evolution of modern video conferencing, preceding the likes of Cisco, Sony, Polycom, and Zoom". Per the complaint, "By overcoming significant technical challenges including seamless wireless connectivity, true device portability, and an intuitive, user-friendly interface, Ricoh enabled users to connect and collaborate anytime, from virtually anywhere, whether local or remote, in the office or at home".
This case appears to mark Ricoh's first as a plaintiff in the US in roughly 15 years. Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP (presumably as lead) and Ashby & Geddes (presumably as local counsel) represent Ricoh. The case has been assigned to Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly. 8/29, District of Delaware.
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