Ginegar LLC v. Slack Technologies, Inc.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

21 Ginegar is the assignee and owner of U.S. Patent Numbers 9,367,521 (the “‘521 Patent”) 22 and 9,760,865 (the “‘865 Patent”) (collectively, the “Patents”). First. Am. Compl. (“FAC”) [Dkt. 23 No. 27] ¶¶ 2, 15-16, 31-32 (citing Exs. A (‘521 Patent), B (‘865 Patent)). The Patents are directed 24 to instant messaging systems, where “individuals can communicate with one another using text- 25 based or other forms of communications over a network in substantially real time.” Id. at ¶ 17. 26 These systems typically operate through programs installed on user devices (i.e., computers, 27 phones, or tablets) that connect to at least one instant message server. See id. at ¶¶ 17-18. Instant messaging systems also enable users to communicate with each other in different ways; for example, users may converse via text or audio messages. See id. at ¶¶ 34-35. A. The ‘521 Patent The ‘521 Patent, entitled “Content and Context Based Handling of Instant Messages,” was issued on June 14, 2016, and claims a method of processing instant message transactions between users during an instant messaging session. See id. at ¶¶ 15, 23-24…