3Balls.com, Inc.

3Balls.com, Inc. is an online retailer specializing in new and used golf equipment. Founded in 1998, the company is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. In July 2015, 3Balls.com was acquired by Global Value Commerce, Inc. (GVC), a technology and re-commerce company that operates several online destinations for golf gear, including its flagship site, GlobalGolf.com. Prior to its full integration, 3Balls.com operated with approximately 51 employees. In February 2024, the 3balls.com website was officially merged into GlobalGolf.com.

As an operating company, 3Balls.com sold a wide range of golf products, including clubs, balls, shoes, bags, and apparel from major brands. The company built its business on providing new and pre-owned equipment at value prices through its own website and as a major seller on eBay. Its parent company, GVC, is recognized as an authority on the value of pre-owned golf equipment and operates distribution centers in North Carolina, Utah, and Canada.

The company's patent litigation profile is that of an operating company defending against patent assertions. It has been a defendant in one tracked case and has not been a plaintiff. This litigation occurred in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, a venue known for high-volume patent litigation.

The single tracked case, eDekka LLC v. 3Balls.com, Inc., is notable. The plaintiff, eDekka LLC, was a prolific patent asserter that filed over 250 lawsuits based on a patent related to information retrieval. In the case against 3Balls.com, the court granted a motion to dismiss, ruling that eDekka's patent claims were directed to an abstract idea and were therefore invalid. The court subsequently deemed the case "exceptional" and awarded attorneys' fees to the defendants, stating that "no reasonable litigant could have reasonably expected success on the merits."