DataTreasury Corporation v. JPMorgan Chase & Co. et al.
SettledSued in 2002, this case resulted in a settlement in July 2005 where JPMorgan Chase entered into a consent judgment acknowledging the validity and infringement of the patents.
Defendant
Bank One Corp.
1 case as defendant.
Company profile
Company Overview
Bank One Corporation was a major U.S. bank holding company that is now part of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The modern Bank One Corporation was formed by the 1998 merger of Columbus, Ohio-based Banc One Corporation and First Chicago NBD. Following this merger, the company headquarters was moved to Chicago. At its peak, Bank One was the fifth- or sixth-largest bank in the United States. On July 1, 2004, JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired Bank One in a $58 billion deal. The Bank One brand and name were retired, and its operations were fully integrated under JPMorgan Chase.
Products and Operations
Prior to its acquisition, Bank One was a full-service financial institution for consumers and commercial businesses. Its offerings included personal banking, business loans, credit card services, commercial and corporate banking, insurance, and investment services. The company had a significant retail presence, with over 1,800 branches across 14 states, primarily in the Midwest and Southwest. It was also a major credit card issuer, with its 1997 acquisition of First USA making it a leader in that market. The company's U.S. retail and commercial banking headquarters were based in Chicago.
Patent Litigation Posture
The available data shows Bank One Corporation as a defendant in one patent case and a plaintiff in none. This record is consistent with its status as a large operating company defending itself against patent assertions rather than initiating them. The single tracked case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, a venue historically favored by patent plaintiffs. Bank One was one of many financial institutions sued in this litigation campaign.
Notable Cases and Context
The tracked case is DataTreasury Corporation v. JPMorgan Chase & Co. et al. DataTreasury, a non-practicing entity, sued numerous banks, including Bank One and its eventual parent JPMorgan Chase, for infringing patents related to check imaging and processing. The litigation spanned many years and involved most of the U.S. banking industry. In 2005, JPMorgan Chase and Bank One entered into a consent judgment, agreeing that the patents were valid and enforceable and settling the case. The acquisition of Bank One by JPMorgan Chase was completed during the course of this litigation, which is why both entities are named in the suit.