Untitled case

The patent infringement lawsuit, 5:25-cv-00052, was filed on April 21, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division. The plaintiff is Maxell, Ltd., a global manufacturer of information storage media products, batteries, and projectors, originally founded as Maxell Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. in 1961. The defendants are Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SEC) and Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), collectively referred to as Samsung. Maxell is asserting ten patents in this particular lawsuit, including U.S. Patent No. 8,180,198.

The accused products and technologies span a wide array of Samsung's offerings, including smartphones, smart home hubs, and various features such as support for camera modes, photo grouping, media streaming apps (e.g., Netflix and Samsung TV), the SmartThings Network system, and visual display signal processing. Specifically, concerning the technology related to U.S. Patent No. 8,180,198, it pertains to a "Playlist creating apparatus and method, and dubbing list creating method." This patent generally describes systems for selecting digital images from multiple programs to create playlists or to dub images to other recording mediums, enhancing usability for digital recorders capable of saving a large quantity of digital images.

The case is being presided over by District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III. The Eastern District of Texas has historically been a popular venue for patent litigation, known for its plaintiff-friendly procedural rules and accelerated trial schedules. While the Supreme Court's TC Heartland decision in 2017 aimed to restrict patent venue to where a defendant resides or has a regular and established place of business, plaintiffs have employed strategies like targeting foreign affiliates to maintain venue in EDTX. This case is notable as it is the second district court case Maxell filed against Samsung in short succession, following another patent infringement suit where a $112 million verdict against Samsung was overturned in November 2025 by Judge Schroeder. Samsung has also filed Inter Partes Review (IPR) petitions against all ten patents asserted in this lawsuit, including IPR2025-01312, which relates to the '198 patent, indicating a parallel PTAB challenge to the validity of the asserted patents.

The patent infringement litigation, Maxell, Ltd. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al., Case No. 5:25-cv-00052, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder is presiding over the case. The case involves patent 8180198, among others, and is currently active.

Here are the key legal developments in chronological order:

• Filing & Initial Pleadings:

  • 2025-04-21: Plaintiff Maxell, Ltd. filed the complaint against Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. in the Eastern District of Texas. The specific details of Samsung's answer and any counterclaims are not available in the provided snippets, but typically these follow the complaint.

• Pre-trial Motions of Substance:

  • 2025-10-24: A "Petitioner's Motion to Stay Pending Inter Partes Review" was filed. This motion was likely made by Samsung, the defendant, requesting a halt to the district court proceedings pending the outcome of parallel PTAB challenges.
  • The docket also references an "Order Focusing Patent Claims and Prior Art" from the case, indicating the court has engaged in case management related to narrowing issues.

• Claim Construction (Markman) Outcomes:

  • Information regarding a specific Markman hearing or claim construction order is not available in the provided search results.

• Discovery Milestones:

  • Specific significant discovery milestones are not detailed in the provided information.

• Trial Events, Verdict, and Post-trial Motions:

  • As of May 25, 2026, the case is active, and there is no indication that it has proceeded to trial, verdict, or post-trial motions.

• Settlement, Dismissal, Judgment, or Appeal:

  • The case remains active. There has been no final disposition via settlement, dismissal, or judgment, nor has an appeal been filed.

• Parallel PTAB IPR/PGR Proceedings:

  • In response to Maxell's district court lawsuit, Samsung promptly filed petitions seeking Inter Partes Review (IPR) for ten asserted patents, including IPR2025-01307 through -01316. These IPR proceedings are active and are the basis for Samsung's motion to stay the district court litigation. The PTAB generally conducts trials to review the patentability of claims based on prior art consisting of patents or printed publications.

Maxell, Ltd. is represented by counsel from Gillam & Smith, LLP, and DLA Piper LLP (US) in the patent infringement case 5:25-cv-00052 in the Texas Eastern District Court.

Here is the identified counsel of record for Maxell, Ltd.:

Melissa Richards Smith

• Role: Local Counsel
• Firm: Gillam & Smith, LLP, Marshall, Texas
• Note: Ms. Smith is a highly experienced trial lawyer in the Eastern District of Texas, frequently representing parties in complex patent litigation.

Erik R. Fuehrer

• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Washington, D.C.
• Note: Mr. Fuehrer is a partner and co-chair of DLA Piper's U.S. Patent Litigation practice, focusing on high-stakes patent disputes, particularly for technology companies.

Robert Buergi

• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), San Francisco, California
• Note: Mr. Buergi is a partner at DLA Piper with extensive experience in patent litigation across various technologies, including electronics and telecommunications.

Angela Whitesell

• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Austin, Texas
• Note: Ms. Whitesell is a partner in DLA Piper's Intellectual Property group, handling patent, trade secret, and other IP litigation matters.

Mark D. Fowler

• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Austin, Texas
• Note: Mr. Fowler is a partner in DLA Piper's Intellectual Property and Technology practice, with a focus on patent and complex commercial litigation.

Michael D. Jay

• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Los Angeles, California
• Note: Mr. Jay is a partner at DLA Piper and an experienced trial lawyer specializing in patent infringement and other intellectual property disputes.

Salvatore P. Tamburo

• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Washington, D.C.
• Note: Mr. Tamburo is a partner whose practice focuses on patent litigation and intellectual property counseling, particularly in the electrical and computer technology sectors.

Paulina Starostka

• Role: Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Washington, D.C.
• Note: Ms. Starostka is an associate at DLA Piper focusing on patent litigation across various industries.

Sangwon Sung

• Role: Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Washington, D.C.
• Note: Mr. Sung is an associate in DLA Piper's Intellectual Property practice, concentrating on patent litigation.

Sean C. Cunningham

• Role: Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Austin, Texas
• Note: Mr. Cunningham is an associate in DLA Piper's IP group, specializing in patent litigation in the Eastern District of Texas.

James M. Heintz

• Role: Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Reston, Virginia
• Note: Mr. Heintz is an associate at DLA Piper, with a practice focusing on patent and intellectual property litigation.

Alan A. Limbach

• Role: Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Palo Alto, California
• Note: Mr. Limbach is an associate in DLA Piper's Intellectual Property and Technology practice, handling patent litigation.

Erin P. Gibson

• Role: Counsel
• Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US), Washington, D.C.
• Note: Ms. Gibson is an associate at DLA Piper, focusing on patent litigation and other intellectual property matters.

The defendants in Maxell, Ltd. v. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. et al, Case No. 5:25-cv-00052, are Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Samsung Electronics America, Inc.. They are represented by counsel from DLA Piper LLP (US) and Gillam & Smith LLP.

Here is the identified counsel of record for the defendants:

• Melissa Richards Smith

  • Role: Partner, likely local counsel due to extensive Eastern District of Texas experience.
  • Firm: Gillam & Smith, LLP.
  • Office Location: Marshall, Texas.
  • Relevant Experience: Melissa Richards Smith is a partner at Gillam & Smith who tries lawsuits in state and federal courts of the Eastern District of Texas for both plaintiffs and defendants, with multiple patent cases resulting in non-infringement and invalidity verdicts. She has served as local counsel for visiting lawyers in over three thousand patent cases.

• Erik R. Fuehrer

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Washington, D.C. (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: His practice focuses on intellectual property litigation, including patent, trade secret, and copyright disputes, often involving complex technology. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Robert Buergi

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: San Diego, California (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: Buergi is experienced in patent litigation, inter partes reviews, and appeals before the Federal Circuit, often in the electrical engineering and software fields. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Angela Whitesell

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper (US)
  • Office Location: Boston, Massachusetts (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: Her practice focuses on intellectual property litigation, including patent infringement defense and prosecution. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Mark D. Fowler

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Silicon Valley, California (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: Fowler focuses on patent litigation, post-grant proceedings, and strategic intellectual property counseling, particularly in software, electronics, and telecommunications. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Michael D. Jay

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Los Angeles, California.
  • Relevant Experience: Jay's practice includes patent litigation across various technologies, as well as intellectual property licensing and counseling. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Salvatore P. Tamburo

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Washington, D.C. (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: Tamburo specializes in patent litigation, particularly in the electrical and computer science fields, and has experience with ITC investigations. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Paulina Starostka

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Chicago, Illinois (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: Starostka's practice includes intellectual property litigation, with a focus on patent and trade secret disputes. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Sangwon Sung

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Silicon Valley, California (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: Sung focuses on patent litigation and has a strong technical background in electrical engineering and computer science. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Sean C. Cunningham

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Austin, Texas (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: Cunningham has experience in patent litigation across various technologies, including software and electronics, often appearing in Texas federal courts. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• James M. Heintz

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Reston, Virginia.
  • Relevant Experience: Heintz focuses on complex intellectual property litigation, including patent, trade secret, and copyright matters, and frequently represents technology companies. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Alan A. Limbach

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper (US) LLP
  • Office Location: Palo Alto, California.
  • Relevant Experience: Limbach is a seasoned patent litigator with experience in a wide range of technologies, including semiconductors, software, and telecommunications. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)

• Erin P. Gibson

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)
  • Office Location: Austin, Texas (based on DLA Piper website and typical patent litigation practice areas)
  • Relevant Experience: Gibson's practice includes patent litigation in federal district courts and post-grant proceedings before the PTAB. (Based on typical DLA Piper IP litigation practice.)