Amazon.com, Inc. v. SoundClear Technologies LLC

This Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding, IPR2025-00565, involves Petitioner Amazon.com, Inc. and Patent Owner SoundClear Technologies LLC. Amazon.com, Inc. is a major operating company known for its e-commerce, cloud computing (Amazon Web Services), digital streaming, and artificial intelligence ventures, including voice-activated devices like Alexa and Echo. SoundClear Technologies LLC appears to be a patent assertion entity (PAE) or non-practicing entity (NPE), formed in June 2023, which acquired a portfolio of patents, including the one at issue, from JVCKenwood in September 2023. SoundClear Technologies has initiated multiple patent infringement lawsuits against major tech companies like Amazon and Google, focusing on voice assistant and related hardware/software products.

The core of this IPR concerns U.S. Patent No. 11,069,337. While a precise one-line technical sketch for this patent isn't fully detailed in the provided search results, it broadly relates to voice recognition and audio processing technologies, likely involving refined voice signal processing or noise cancellation methods. The accused products in related district court litigation, which prompted this IPR, are Amazon's voice assistants and associated hardware and software products, such as the Amazon Echo and devices utilizing Amazon Web Services for voice processing, particularly features related to noise reduction, speech detection/processing, and volume control.

The IPR is currently pending before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has been instituted, meaning the PTAB has agreed to review the patentability of the challenged claims. This venue, the PTAB, is significant as it provides an alternative forum to district court litigation for challenging patent validity, often seen as a more efficient and cost-effective way for accused infringers like Amazon to contest patent claims. The case is notable as it is part of a broader litigation campaign by SoundClear Technologies against prominent tech companies in the burgeoning smart speaker and voice AI market, highlighting the increasing monetization pressure on underlying signal processing and recognition patents in this industry. This IPR is also linked to a larger pattern of NPEs asserting patents derived from operating companies like JVCKenwood against major technology platforms.

The case Amazon.com, Inc. v. SoundClear Technologies LLC, IPR2025-00565, involves a challenge to U.S. Patent No. 11,069,337 before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The IPR was filed by Amazon.com, Inc. on January 30, 2025, and the PTAB instituted trial on August 26, 2025.

Parallel to this IPR, SoundClear Technologies LLC has been active in district court litigation. On May 1, 2024, SoundClear Technologies LLC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Amazon.com, Inc. in the Eastern District of Virginia, specifically case number 2:24-cv-00320. This lawsuit accused Amazon of infringing three patents, including US11069337B2, related to voice assistants and associated hardware and software products.

Key legal developments in the parallel district court litigation and IPR proceedings include:

• 2024-05-01: SoundClear Technologies LLC filed a patent infringement complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. in the Eastern District of Virginia (Case No. 2:24-cv-00320), asserting patent 11,069,337, among others.
• 2024-11-08: The District Court issued an order (Doc. No. 63) finding that the three patents at issue, including patent 11,069,337, were invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101 and granted Amazon's motion to dismiss.
• 2025-01-10: SoundClear filed a Rule 59(e) motion to alter the judgment. The Court granted this motion in part and denied it in part, specifically allowing SoundClear to file an amended complaint regarding patents 11,069,337 and 11,244,675 based on newly discovered evidence, while retaining the invalidity ruling for a third patent (11,244,447). This suggests the litigation for patent 11,069,337 was allowed to proceed.
• 2025-01-30: Amazon.com, Inc. filed IPR2025-00565 challenging patent 11,069,337 at the PTAB.
• 2025-02-05: SoundClear Technologies LLC filed an appeal to the Federal Circuit (Case No. 25-1288) concerning its litigation against Amazon.com, Inc. The specifics of what was appealed at this stage are not detailed in the available search results, but it likely relates to the § 101 dismissal.
• 2025-08-26: The PTAB instituted trial for IPR2025-00565, challenging patent 11,069,337.
• 2025-09-29: Google LLC, also a target of SoundClear litigation, filed a separate IPR (IPR2025-01597) challenging patent 11,069,337. This IPR was later terminated on March 17, 2026.
• 2026-03-25: A Joint Stipulation to Modify Trial Due Date was filed in IPR2025-00565 by the Patent Owner (SoundClear).

As of May 28, 2026, the IPR2025-00565 proceeding is pending, with the trial having been instituted. The underlying district court litigation between SoundClear and Amazon concerning patent 11,069,337 appears to be active, as SoundClear was granted leave to amend its complaint as to this patent in January 2025. The Federal Circuit appeal (25-1288) filed by SoundClear against Amazon is also still listed as of February 5, 2025.

It is worth noting that SoundClear Technologies LLC also filed a separate patent infringement action against Google LLC on July 25, 2024, in the Virginia Eastern District Court (Case No. 3:24cv540), also asserting patent US11069337B2, among others.## Patent Dispute: Amazon and SoundClear Technologies Navigate IPR and District Court Litigation Over Voice AI Patents

A multi-front legal battle is unfolding between Amazon.com, Inc. and SoundClear Technologies LLC concerning U.S. Patent No. 11,069,337, which relates to voice recognition and audio processing technologies. The dispute involves an active Inter Partes Review (IPR) before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and ongoing patent infringement litigation in the Eastern District of Virginia, which included an appeal to the Federal Circuit.

Key Legal Developments

Parallel District Court Litigation:

• 2024-05-01: SoundClear Technologies LLC initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against Amazon.com, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Case No. 2:24-cv-00320). The complaint alleged infringement of three patents, including U.S. Patent No. 11,069,337, by Amazon's voice assistant and related hardware/software products.
• 2024-11-08: The District Court granted Amazon's motion to dismiss (Doc. No. 63), finding all three asserted patents, including the '337 patent, invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101.
• 2025-01-10: SoundClear Technologies LLC filed a motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e) to alter or amend the judgment. The Court partially granted this motion, allowing SoundClear to file an amended complaint regarding patents 11,069,337 and 11,244,675 based on newly discovered evidence. However, the invalidity ruling for a third patent (11,244,447) remained. This decision permitted the litigation for patent 11,069,337 to continue.
• 2025-02-05: SoundClear Technologies LLC appealed the District Court's decision in the Eastern District of Virginia to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Case No. 25-1288). The specific issues under appeal were not detailed, but it is presumed to relate to the Section 101 eligibility ruling.

PTAB Inter Partes Review (IPR):

• 2025-01-30: Amazon.com, Inc. filed an Inter Partes Review (IPR) petition, IPR2025-00565, with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), challenging the validity of U.S. Patent No. 11,069,337.
• 2025-08-26: The PTAB instituted trial in IPR2025-00565, indicating that Amazon had demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on at least one claim of unpatentability.
• 2026-03-25: A joint stipulation to modify the trial due date was filed by SoundClear Technologies LLC (the Patent Owner) in IPR2025-00565.

Other Parallel PTAB Proceedings:

• 2025-09-29: Google LLC, which is also facing a separate infringement lawsuit from SoundClear Technologies LLC involving the '337 patent, filed its own IPR challenging U.S. Patent No. 11,069,337 (IPR2025-01597).
• 2026-03-17: IPR2025-01597, filed by Google, was terminated.

Current Posture

As of today, May 28, 2026, IPR2025-00565 is pending before the PTAB, with trial having been instituted. The related patent infringement litigation in the Eastern District of Virginia between SoundClear Technologies LLC and Amazon.com, Inc. remains active regarding patent 11,069,337, following the partial reinstatement of the case after the Rule 59(e) motion. The Federal Circuit appeal (25-1288) is also ongoing.

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print(google_search.search(queries=["IPR2025-00565 Amazon.com, Inc. v. SoundClear Technologies LLC counsel of record", "IPR2025-00565 Amazon counsel", "Scott P. McBride intellectual property", "Jeffrey Love intellectual property", "Fish & Richardson IPR team", "Greenberg Traurig IPR team"]))
thought
The user is asking to identify the counsel of record for the plaintiff (Petitioner Amazon.com, Inc.) in IPR2025-00565. I need to find the names of the attorneys, their roles, their firms and office locations, and a one-line note on their relevant experience. I will use web search with specific queries focusing on the IPR number and Amazon's counsel. I'll check for lead counsel, of counsel, and firms involved.Amazon.com, Inc., as the Petitioner in IPR2025-00565, is represented by counsel from Fish & Richardson P.C. and Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

The counsel of record for Amazon.com, Inc. include:

• Scott P. McBride (Lead Counsel)

  • Firm: Fish & Richardson P.C., Washington, D.C. office.
  • Experience Note: McBride is a principal at Fish & Richardson with extensive experience in patent litigation and IPR proceedings, particularly in electrical and software technologies. He has represented Amazon in numerous PTAB proceedings and district court cases.

• Jeffrey Love (Counsel)

  • Firm: Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Denver, Colorado office.
  • Experience Note: Love is a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, focusing his practice on intellectual property litigation, including patent infringement defense and IPRs, often for technology companies.

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print(google_search.search(queries=["IPR2025-00565 SoundClear Technologies LLC counsel", "SoundClear Technologies LLC patent litigation counsel", "SoundClear Technologies LLC v. Amazon patent infringement counsel", "SoundClear Technologies LLC v. Google patent infringement counsel", "SoundClear Technologies LLC v. Apple patent infringement counsel", "Fay Sharpe SoundClear Technologies LLC", "Schuyler Roche SoundClear Technologies LLC"]))
thought
The user is asking for the counsel representing SoundClear Technologies LLC in IPR2025-00565. I need to find the names, roles, firms, office locations, and relevant experience for each attorney. I will use web search, specifically looking for information related to the IPR, general patent litigation involving SoundClear Technologies, and any specific firms or attorneys that appear in the search results. I will pay close attention to the firms that typically represent patent assertion entities (PAEs) or non-practicing entities (NPEs).SoundClear Technologies LLC is represented by Daignault Iyer LLP as lead counsel in IPR2025-00565, with additional counsel appearing in related district court proceedings.

The counsel of record for SoundClear Technologies LLC includes:

• Steven Reynolds

  • Role: Lead Counsel (PTAB)
  • Firm: Daignault Iyer LLP, Vienna, VA
  • Experience Note: Steven Reynolds is a registered practitioner and serves as lead counsel in this IPR proceeding before the PTAB. His firm, Daignault Iyer LLP, is frequently identified as representing SoundClear Technologies LLC in its patent litigation campaigns.

• Mr. To (First name not specified in available search results)

  • Role: Attorney (appearing pro hac vice at PTAB)
  • Firm: Daignault Iyer LLP
  • Experience Note: Mr. To is an experienced litigating attorney with over seven years of experience and has supported various aspects of Inter Partes Review proceedings. He has an established familiarity with the subject matter at issue in this proceeding, specifically U.S. Patent No. 11,069,337.

In related district court litigation, particularly SoundClear Technologies LLC v. Amazon.Com, Inc. et al (2:24-cv-00320) in the Eastern District of Virginia:

• Kevin Sprenger

  • Role: Local Counsel (District Court)
  • Firm: Not explicitly stated for this specific role, but often local counsel are from Virginia-based firms in EDVA cases.
  • Experience Note: Kevin Sprenger is noted as local counsel for SoundClear Technologies LLC in the Eastern District of Virginia district court litigation.

• James Hatton

  • Role: Attorney (appearing pro hac vice in District Court)
  • Firm: Not explicitly stated in the available search results but filed a motion to appear pro hac vice in the Eastern District of Virginia.
  • Experience Note: James Hatton sought to appear pro hac vice in the district court case SoundClear Technologies LLC v. Amazon.Com, Inc. et al.