Palo Alto – June 18, 2024 – Cooley won a motion to dismiss with prejudice on behalf of client Uber Technologies (Uber) in Enovsys LLC v. Uber Technologies, Inc. before the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The Cooley team representing Uber was led by Heidi Keefe, Reuben Chen, Adam Pivovar and Alexandra Leeper, with support from Liz Stameshkin, Angela Madrigal, HanByul Chang and Linda Vu.
In September 2023, Enovsys, which previously won cases against other large companies, filed suit against Uber in the Northern District of California, alleging infringement of three geolocation patents.
In a detailed order issued this week, US District Judge Edward J. Davila granted Uber’s motion to dismiss under Section 101 of the patent statute. Uber argued that the patents, while claiming physical computing elements, were essentially directed to something as abstract as collecting location information, analyzing it and presenting results. The technology could be analogized to “(1) a detective tracking a witness and suspect, (2) an emergency-dispatcher tracking emergency vehicles in a specific location, and (3) the children’s ‘Marco Polo’ game.”
The court agreed that the claims were directed to an abstract idea and did not claim an improvement in technology, acknowledging that, “Even children playing Marco Polo efficiently manage location information within a specified geographic zone.” The court granted Uber’s motion without leave for the plaintiff to amend.
The case is Enovsys LLC v. Uber Technologies, Inc. (case no.: 5:23-cv-04549-EJD).
Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law.
Cooley has 1,300+ lawyers across 19 offices in the United States, Asia and Europe, and a total workforce of more than 3,000.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only, and your access or use of the content does not create an attorney-client relationship between you or your organization and Cooley LLP, Cooley (UK) LLP, or any other affiliated practice or entity (collectively referred to as “Cooley”). By accessing this content, you agree that the information provided does not constitute legal or other professional advice. This content is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction and you should not act or refrain from acting based on this content. This content may be changed without notice. It is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up to date, and it may not reflect the most current legal developments. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Do not send any confidential information to Cooley, as we do not have any duty to keep any information you provide to us confidential. This content may be considered Attorney Advertising and is subject to our legal notices.