Signal Transmission Patent Invalid Under 35 U.S.C. § 101

The court granted defendants' motion for judgment on the pleadings that plaintiff's signal transmission patent was invalid for lack of patentable subject matter and found that the patent was directed toward the abstract concept of translation. "Plaintiff argues that the claimed invention is not directed to an abstract idea because it addresses a problem that 'specifically arises in the context of communication networks due to the presence of incompatible devices and formats.'. . . This problem, however, does not 'specifically aris[e] in the realm of computer networks,' and the solution is not 'necessarily rooted in computer technology.' Incompatible communication types have existed since before the emergence of computers and the Internet. Translators have been used for centuries to facilitate communication between individuals who speak different languages. The translator receives a message in one language, translates it into another, and delivers the translated message. Here, the claims require a computer system that receives a payload in one media form, translates it into a different media form, and delivers the translated payload. This is no different than the function of a translator."

Novo Transforma Technologies, LLC v. Sprint Spectrum LP et al, 1-14-cv-00612 (DED September 2, 2015, Order) (Andrews, J.)