Anadex Data Communications LLC, an Equitable IP Corporation plaintiff, has filed separate Eastern District of Texas cases against AT&T (4:25-cv-00317), Charter Communications (Spectrum Management) (4:25-cv-00321), CenturyLink Communications (4:25-cv-00319), Frontier Communications (4:25-cv-00320), and Verizon (4:25-cv-00322). Throughout this campaign, Anadex has taken aim at the provision of video surveillance systems with a single patent generally related to processing analog video frames. The plaintiff repeats the same articulation of the accused products across this latest round of complaints: "security video camera DVR recording system(s) that have analog inputs as well as analog outputs, which by way of example include, without limitation, Defendant's set top boxes, cable boxes, digital video recorders, and similar systems".
The asserted patent (7,310,120) issued to European telecommunications company Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB) in December 2007 with estimated priority, based on a foreign filing, in October 2003. In March 2019, ADB assigned six US patents to Equitable IP, which moved those assets (including a patent application) to Anadex in October of that year.
Anadex Data sued Compassion Consulting & Distribution and Zhejiang Dahua Technology (LOREX Technology)in separate Western District of Texas suits filed in March 2020, following up with July 2021 cases against each of Central Purchasing (Harbor Freight Tools) and Lowe's and a March 2022 suit against Home Depot. None of the prior cases reached any of the merits. LOREX answered, after which the suit was dismissed with prejudice. The rest were dismissed without prejudice, although, at least for some of them, after some indication of settlement. For example, after Central District of California Judge Andrew Birotte ordered Anadex to show cause why the Home Depot case should not be dismissed for lack of prosecution, the plaintiff filed a document that suggested that the parties, at least there, were engaged in active, background settlement negotiations (delaying service).
The last round of cases was filed in the Western District of Texas, separately against Altex Electronics, Ravat Group (Amcrest Industries, Amcrest Technologies), and Samsung (Samsung Electronics). Little happened there as well.
Equitable IP was formed in Nevada in 2015 by John T. Meli Jr., the former patent counsel for Rembrandt IP Management, LLC. After initiating a large number of litigation campaigns in 2016-2017, the firm's activities slowed, picking back up in 2020, as part of which resurgence Equitable IP formed Anadex in Texas, on March 17, 2020. In March 2022, Anadex changed the identification of its management from Equitable IP to John Meli (identified in state records first as its manager and later as both its manager and director). Since 2020, Equitable IP has launched seven new litigation campaigns, including Anadex's, but only one over the past couple of years (at least with public ties to the company).
Shea Beaty PLLC filed the new Anadex cases. The AT&T case has been assigned to District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, with the remaining cases having yet to be assigned to a judge. 3/28, Eastern District of Texas.
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