Untitled case

This case involves an Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding, IPR2026-00227, currently pending at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), which is linked to a patent infringement lawsuit. The parties are Bulletproof Property Management LLC as the Patent Owner and Tesla, Inc. as the Petitioner. Bulletproof Property Management LLC appears to operate as a Patent Assertion Entity (PAE) or Non-Practicing Entity (NPE), holding a portfolio of patents, including those invented by Bennet Langlotz, who is also identified as a "gun patent attorney." Conversely, Tesla, Inc. is a prominent operating company known globally as an electric vehicle manufacturer.

The core of the dispute lies in an underlying patent infringement lawsuit, Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. (Case No. 1:25-cv-00665), filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. In this district court action, Bulletproof Property Management LLC alleges that Tesla's motor vehicles, specifically those equipped with the "Auto Shift" feature, infringe its patents. The primary patent at issue in IPR2026-00227 is U.S. Patent No. 11,932,230, titled "Vehicle gear selection control." This patent broadly claims a motor vehicle system where a controller selects a driving direction (forward or reverse) based on a pattern of steering angle movements, without direct operator input, and can automatically change between modes like reverse and drive.

The procedural posture includes the IPR at the PTAB, where Tesla is challenging the validity of patent 11,932,230. This IPR is a defensive measure in response to the ongoing infringement litigation in the Western District of Texas, presided over by Judge Alan D. Albright. The Western District of Texas has gained a reputation as a patent-owner friendly venue, often influencing where patent infringement cases are filed. This case is notable due to the targeting of a major automotive innovator, Tesla, Inc., by a suspected NPE over technology related to advanced vehicle control systems, specifically automated gear selection features. It highlights the continuing trend of NPE assertions in the high-tech and automotive sectors and the strategic use of PTAB proceedings to challenge patent validity in parallel with district court litigation.

tool_code
print(google_search.search(queries=["Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. Case No. 1:25-cv-00665 filings", "Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. 1:25-cv-00665 Markman", "Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. 1:25-cv-00665 motions", "Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. 1:25-cv-00665 settlement", "IPR2026-00229 outcome", "PTAB IPR2026-00229 decision on institution", "Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. 1:25-cv-00665 status", "Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. 1:25-cv-00665 courtlistener", "Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. 1:25-cv-00665 docket"]))
thought
The user is asking for key legal developments and the outcome of the patent infringement litigation, Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. (Case No. 1:25-cv-00665), in chronological order. I need to cover various stages of litigation, including filing, motions, claim construction, discovery, trial, and final disposition, as well as the impact of parallel IPR proceedings. I will use the provided search results to gather this information, paying close attention to dates and citations.

Based on the previous sections, it's important to note the discrepancy regarding the IPR number: the prompt initially mentioned IPR2026-00227 for patent 11932230, but searches indicated IPR2026-00229 is the correct IPR for that patent with Tesla as Petitioner and Bulletproof Property Management as Patent Owner. I will prioritize information related to IPR2026-00229 when discussing the IPR.

Let's break down the search strategy for each requested item:

1. Filing & initial pleadings (complaint, answer, counterclaims): I'll look for the initial complaint filing date and any subsequent answers or counterclaims in the district court case (1:25-cv-00665).
2. Pre-trial motions of substance: I'll search for motions to dismiss, transfer, stay pending IPR, and summary judgment motions.
3. Claim construction (Markman) outcomes: I'll look for Markman hearings, orders, and their dates.
4. Discovery milestones: This might be harder to find without direct docket access, but I'll look for any publicly reported significant discovery disputes or orders.
5. Trial events, verdict, post-trial motions: Given the case number suggests a 2025 filing, it's unlikely to have reached trial and verdict yet, but I will check.
6. Settlement, dismissal, judgment, or appeal: I'll look for any final dispositions or the current posture of the case.
7. Parallel PTAB IPR/PGR proceedings and their effect: I'll focus on IPR2026-00229 for patent 11932230, looking for institution decisions, final written decisions, and any impact on the district court case (e.g., motions to stay).

The search queries already include many of these keywords, so I will analyze the results and compile the information chronologically.The patent infringement litigation Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. (Case No. 1:25-cv-00665) is ongoing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. In parallel, an Inter Partes Review (IPR), IPR2026-00229, has been filed by Tesla, Inc. challenging the validity of U.S. Patent No. 11,932,230, one of the patents asserted in the district court case.

Here are the key legal developments in chronological order:

• 2025-05-05: Complaint Filed
  Bulletproof Property Management LLC initiated the patent infringement lawsuit by filing an Original Complaint against Tesla, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
• 2025-08-11: Amended Complaint Filed
  Bulletproof Property Management LLC filed an Amended Complaint, which specifically alleged that Tesla's "Auto Shift" feature infringes U.S. Patent No. 11,932,230 and other "Follow-On Patents."
• Post-August 2025: Tesla's Answer and Counterclaims
  Tesla, Inc. filed an Answer to the Amended Complaint, which included a jury demand and counterclaims against Bulletproof Property Management LLC. The exact filing date for this is not specified in the provided information but occurred after the amended complaint.
• Pre-January 2026: Motion to Transfer Venue
  Tesla, Inc. filed a Motion to Transfer Venue to the Northern District of California. Bulletproof Property Management LLC filed a response in opposition to this motion on January 14, 2026.
• Pre-March 2026: Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim
  Tesla, Inc. filed a Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim.
• 2026-03-19: Petitioner's Stipulation in IPR
  A Petitioner's Stipulation was filed in the parallel IPR proceeding, IPR2026-00229.
• 2026-03-24: Motion to Dismiss Denied as Moot
  The district court issued a text order denying as moot Tesla's Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim. The specific reason for the motion being moot was not detailed in the provided information.
• Parallel PTAB IPR Proceedings (IPR2026-00229):
  Tesla, Inc. filed an Inter Partes Review petition (IPR2026-00229) with the PTAB, challenging the validity of U.S. Patent No. 11,932,230, which is a key patent in the district court litigation. As of May 29, 2026, the outcome of the institution decision for IPR2026-00229 is not yet available.
• PTAB Policy Shifts Impacting IPR Institution: Recent developments at the PTAB, while not specific to IPR2026-00229, indicate a trend toward increased discretionary denials of IPR petitions. On March 11, 2026, the Director of the USPTO issued a memorandum introducing a "domestic-industry factor" that impacts institution decisions, potentially reducing the likelihood of institution for petitions that do not align with U.S. economic interests. Furthermore, a precedential ruling on May 14, 2026, in Magnolia Medical Technologies, Inc. v. Kurin, Inc. (IPR2026-00097), underscored that AIA reviews are not intended to provide a "second bite at the apple" for validity challenges after district court litigation, which could influence future institution decisions for IPRs filed by district court defendants.
• 2026-08-24: Scheduled Claim Construction Hearing
  A Claim Construction (Markman) Hearing is scheduled for this date in the district court case.
• 2027-08-05: Scheduled Final Pretrial Conference
  A Final Pretrial Conference is scheduled for this date.

Outcome/Current Posture:
The district court litigation (1:25-cv-00665) is currently active and in the pre-trial phase, with significant future dates scheduled for claim construction and a final pretrial conference. Despite one snippet from a search result indicating the case status as "Closed", the presence of these upcoming events confirms that the case remains ongoing. The parallel IPR proceeding, IPR2026-00229, is pending, with no decision on institution yet available. No specific discovery milestones of strategic significance or trial events have been publicly reported.

It appears there may be a discrepancy in the provided IPR number. While the prompt references IPR2026-00227 as being associated with patent 11932230, comprehensive web searches, including PTAB case lists and detailed patent searches, did not yield direct evidence linking IPR2026-00227 to patent 11932230.

However, search results strongly indicate that U.S. Patent No. 11,932,230 is the subject of another Inter Partes Review, IPR2026-00229, where Tesla, Inc. is the Petitioner and Bulletproof Property Management, LLC is the Patent Owner. Patent 11932230, titled "Vehicle gear selection control," was granted on March 19, 2024, to inventor Bennet Langlotz. Bennet Langlotz has been identified as a "patent and trademark attorney" and is associated with claims of infringement against Tesla's "Auto Shift" feature.

Assuming the intent of the request is to identify counsel for the petitioner challenging patent 11932230, the relevant case is IPR2026-00229, with Tesla, Inc. as the petitioner (the "plaintiff" equivalent in this IPR context).

As filings for IPR2026-00229 were not available in the provided search snippets to directly identify counsel for Tesla, Inc., a general search for Tesla's patent litigation counsel, particularly for IPRs or automotive-related patents, would be required. Without access to the specific docket entries for IPR2026-00229, the counsel of record for Tesla, Inc. cannot be explicitly identified at this time. Filings for PTAB cases are typically accessible through the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board End-to-End (PTAB E2E) system or through services like DocketNavigator or PACER, which were not directly queried to reveal specific attorney names in the provided search results.

I am unable to identify the counsel of record representing the Patent Owner in IPR2026-00227 through the current web search capabilities. Direct access to the PTAB's docketing system (P-TACTS) would be required to retrieve the official filings that designate counsel.

As of the current date, the general web searches, including queries for the PTAB docket and specific IPR counsel, have not yielded specific attorney names or firm information for IPR2026-00227. While patent 11932230 is attributed to inventor Bennet Langlotz, and he is noted as a patent and trademark attorney, it is not confirmed that he is representing himself or is represented by another firm in this IPR. Given that the case is a pending IPR from 2026, the relevant filings that would identify counsel may not yet be widely indexed or publicly accessible through general search engines.