Untitled case

This patent infringement litigation, CommScope Technologies LLC v. Belden Inc. et al., case number 1:24-cv-00440, was filed on April 8, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and is currently assigned to Judge Richard G. Andrews. The plaintiff, CommScope Technologies LLC, is an operating company specializing in network infrastructure solutions, including fiber optic connectivity, structured cabling, and wireless systems. The defendants are Belden Inc., a multinational publicly traded operating company focused on networking, security, and connectivity products; Opterna AM, Inc., a supplier of fiber optic products which was acquired by PPC Broadband; and PPC Broadband, Inc., a Belden brand, which manufactures connectivity solutions for the broadband and telecommunications industries. The accused products or services, while not explicitly detailed in the public docket summary, generally pertain to fiber optic technology and connectivity solutions offered by the defendants, given the technical nature of the asserted patents and the parties' respective businesses in telecommunications infrastructure.

The primary patent at issue, as specified, is U.S. Patent No. 10,996,417, which describes a fiber optic enclosure assembly. This assembly includes a housing with an internal region, a bearing mount, and a cable spool connected to the bearing mount. The design allows the cable spool and a termination module on it to rotate within the housing, facilitating the payout of fiber optic cable. The initial complaint also listed U.S. Patent Nos. 7,715,679, 10,606,017, and 10,627,592 as asserted. The District of Delaware is a prominent venue for patent litigation, particularly for cases involving operating companies, largely due to a significant number of major U.S. technology and pharmaceutical companies being incorporated in Delaware, which became a key factor after the Supreme Court's TC Heartland decision. The court also has a judiciary experienced in patent law.

This case is notable due to the parallel inter partes review (IPR) proceedings initiated by the defendants. Belden Inc., PPC Broadband, Inc., Opterna AM, Inc., Opterna International Corp., and Belden Worldwide Corp. filed an IPR (IPR2025-01119) against CommScope Technologies LLC challenging the validity of U.S. Patent No. 10,996,417. This IPR was filed on July 22, 2025, with an effective date of June 10, 2025, indicating a concerted effort by the defendants to challenge the asserted patent's patentability at the USPTO while defending against infringement claims in district court. Such parallel proceedings are a common strategy in patent litigation, underscoring the high stakes involved in disputes over fundamental telecommunications infrastructure technology.

This patent infringement litigation, CommScope Technologies LLC v. Belden Inc. et al, Case No. 1:24-cv-00440, was filed in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. The patent at issue is US Patent No. 10,996,417.

Here's a chronological summary of the key legal developments and current posture:

Filing & Initial Pleadings:

• Complaint Filed (2024-04-08): CommScope Technologies LLC and CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina filed a patent infringement complaint against Belden Inc., PPC Broadband, Inc., Opterna AM, Inc., Opterna International Corp., and Belden Worldwide Corp. in the District of Delaware.

Parallel PTAB IPR Proceedings:

• IPR Petition Filed (2025-07-22): Belden Inc., PPC Broadband, Inc., Opterna AM, Inc., Opterna International Corp., and Belden Worldwide Corp. filed an Inter Partes Review (IPR) petition, IPR2025-01119, against US Patent No. 10,996,417. The effective date for the IPR proceeding was June 10, 2025.

Current Posture:

• The district court litigation is currently active. Given the IPR filing date of July 2025, it is likely that the district court case is either stayed pending the IPR outcome or is in the early stages of discovery or scheduling. However, specific docket entries beyond the initial filing and last activity date (2024-09-09) are not available from the provided search snippets to confirm these details.

No information regarding specific pre-trial motions (motions to dismiss, transfer, or stay), claim construction (Markman) outcomes, discovery milestones, trial events, verdicts, or final dispositions (settlement, dismissal, or judgment) for the District of Delaware case 1:24-cv-00440 is available at this time, beyond its active status. Similarly, the outcome of the IPR2025-01119 proceeding against US Patent No. 10,996,417 is not yet determined.

Here is the counsel of record representing the plaintiff, CommScope Technologies LLC, in the patent infringement case 1:24-cv-00440 in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. The identification of counsel is based on their representation of CommScope Technologies LLC in related patent litigation in the District of Delaware, as specific docket entries for counsel in the instant case were not immediately available through the search.

Lead Counsel (from Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A.)

• Philip P. Caspers
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.
• J. Derek Vandenburgh
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.
• Timothy A. Lindquist
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.
• Dennis C. Bremer
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.
• Iain A. McIntyre
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.
• Tara C. Norgard
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.
• Saukshmya Trichi
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.
• William F. Bullard
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Shareholder at Carlson Caspers with a focus on patent litigation since 2010, and has represented CommScope in patent infringement cases in the District of Delaware and District of Texas, as well as multiple IPR proceedings before the USPTO.
• Peter M. Kohlhepp
  • Firm: Carlson, Caspers, Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Experience Note: Attorney with Carlson Caspers for over fourteen years, has litigated numerous patent cases in multiple federal District Courts, and represents CommScope Technologies LLC in a pending patent infringement lawsuit in the District of Delaware (Civil Action No. 1:22-cv-00783-RGA).

Local Counsel (from Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.)

• Kelly E. Farnan
  • Firm: Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Wilmington, DE
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.
• Valerie A. Caras
  • Firm: Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Wilmington, DE
  • Experience Note: Named as an attorney for CommScope Technologies LLC in previous District of Delaware patent litigation.

The counsel of record representing the defendant(s) in CommScope Technologies LLC v. Belden Inc. et al, case number 1:24-cv-00440, in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, could not be definitively identified through publicly available web search results at this time.

The defendants in this patent infringement case, which involves patent 10,996,417, are Belden Inc., Opterna AM, Inc., and PPC Broadband, Inc.. While these companies frequently engage in patent litigation in the District of Delaware and elsewhere, and several prominent Delaware intellectual property firms commonly serve as local counsel in such cases (e.g., Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP; Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor LLP; Richards, Layton & Finger; Connolly Gallagher LLP; Bayard, P.A.), the specific attorneys who have entered appearances for the defendants in case 1:24-cv-00440-RGA are not explicitly listed in the available public snippets from docket monitoring services or legal news outlets. Without direct access to the court's docket entries for attorney appearances in this specific case, providing a verified list of defense counsel and their roles is not possible.