John Sample

Attorney: John Sample
Firm: Diamond McCarthy LLP
Role: Of Counsel

John Sample is a patent litigator whose practice, based on tracked representations, focuses on asserting software-related patents. He has represented a patent holder as plaintiff in litigation involving complex technologies, specifically in the field of augmented reality (AR). His single tracked case appearance was on behalf of the plaintiff, NantWorks, LLC, indicating experience in patent monetization or enforcement actions.

Mr. Sample was listed as of counsel with Diamond McCarthy LLP on the original complaint for his sole tracked case, NantWorks, LLC et al. v. Niantic, Inc. In this case, filed in the Northern District of California, NantWorks accused Niantic’s popular Pokémon Go and Harry Potter mobile games of infringing patents related to AR and gaming systems. The case involved multiple patents covering technologies for delivering AR content and integrating it with real-world environments.

The NantWorks litigation was a significant, though ultimately unsuccessful, assertion. The district court invalidated the asserted patents, granting judgment in favor of the defendant, Niantic, finding the claims were directed to abstract ideas and thus not patent-eligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101. This decision was later affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Further details regarding Mr. Sample's professional background, including bar admissions, education, and any experience in proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), are not readily available in publicly sourced documents.