Geo M. Martin Co. v. Alliance MacHine Systems International, LLC
Opinion
Opinion
Alsup, J.
ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S RULE 50 MOTION ON THE ISSUE OF OBVIOUSNESS
INTRODUCTION
In this patent infringement action, defendant Alliance Machine Systems International, LLC, moves for judgment as a matter of law on the issue of obviousness after a two-week jury trial that resulted in a hung jury. For the reasons set forth below, Alliance’s motion is Granted.
STATEMENT
The history of this case has been explained in prior orders. In brief, plaintiff Martin Family Trust is the assignee of United States Patent No. 6,655,566 Bl, and plaintiff George M. Martin Company practices the claimed method as the Trust’s exclusive licensee.
The patent itself is directed to an improvement in bundle breakers. Bundle breakers are industrial machines that break stacked sheets of corrugated or other material, called “logs,” along perforated, scored or otherwise weakened lines into “bundles” (col.l:5 — 15). These machines are frequently used in the corrugated cardboard industry but can be used on a variety of materials such as corrugated paper or board, composition roofing shingles, and paper, plastic, or glass plates (col.l:17-23).