Disintermedation Services Inc. v. Charter Communications, Inc.

This patent infringement suit involves a non-practicing entity (NPE) targeting the customer communication technology of a major U.S. telecommunications company in a popular patent venue. The plaintiff, Disintermedation Services Inc., is a patent assertion entity that has filed multiple lawsuits against various companies over patents related to online communication systems. The defendant is Charter Communications, Inc., a Fortune 100 company that provides broadband, cable, and mobile services to millions of customers under its Spectrum brand. As an operating company, Charter is a frequent target of patent litigation.

The dispute centers on U.S. Patent No. 11,240,183, which is broadly titled a "Two-way real time communication system that allows asymmetric participation in conversations across multiple electronic platforms." The patent describes a system for managing web-based chat communications, particularly how a system can receive a request from an unauthenticated user on a website, assign a "conversation identifier," and route the conversation between the user and one or more responders without disclosing the responder's contact information. While the specific complaint is not publicly available through web searches, the technology described in the '183 patent strongly indicates that the accused services are Charter's customer support "Chat With Us" features available on its Spectrum.com website and through the My Spectrum App, which allow customers to communicate with support agents.

The case was filed on June 22, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Waco Division (6:22-cv-00650). At the time of filing, this venue was the most popular in the nation for patent litigation, largely due to the plaintiff-friendly practices and fast-moving docket of Judge Alan D. Albright, who was the only district judge in the Waco division and heard the vast majority of patent cases filed there. This ability for plaintiffs to effectively select their judge made the venue a favored forum for NPEs. The case's notability stems from this context of aggressive forum shopping that was prevalent at the time. Further highlighting the scrutiny on the asserted patent, the validity of the '183 patent is being challenged; Unified Patents, an organization that works to deter NPE litigation, has sponsored a "PATROLL" contest seeking to find prior art that could invalidate its claims. The last known docket activity was in early 2023, and the current status of the case is not publicly documented.

Based on a comprehensive review of available legal and public records, the case caption provided, Disintermedation Services Inc. v. Charter Communications, Inc. for case number 6:22-cv-00650, appears to be incorrect. Multiple sources indicate that the defendant in this specific case is Crisp IM SAS, not Charter Communications, Inc.

Disintermedation Services Inc. filed a series of patent infringement lawsuits on the same day against multiple defendants in the Western District of Texas, and case number 6:22-cv-00650 was assigned to the action against Crisp IM SAS. There is no public record of significant legal developments or a final outcome for a case involving Charter Communications under this specific docket number.

Below is a summary of the actual case, Disintermedation Services Inc. v. Crisp IM SAS, based on the limited information available.

Key Legal Developments for 6:22-cv-00650

Filing & Initial Pleadings

• 2022-06-22: Complaint Filed
  Disintermedation Services Inc. filed a patent infringement complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The suit asserted U.S. Patent No. 11,240,183, titled "Two-way real time communication system that allows asymmetric participation in conversations across multiple electronic platforms," among others asserted in related cases. Disintermedation Services Inc. is a frequent patent asserter.

Disposition

• Likely Early Settlement and Dismissal
  The last known docket activity for this case was on 2023-01-13. The short duration of the case—less than seven months—and the lack of any publicly available substantive motions, claim construction orders, or trial dates strongly suggest that the parties reached a settlement, leading to a voluntary dismissal. This outcome is common in litigation campaigns initiated by non-practicing entities. However, without access to the final docket entry, the exact nature of the disposition remains unconfirmed.

Parallel PTAB Proceedings

• No PTAB Proceedings Found
  A thorough search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) database reveals no records of inter partes review (IPR) or post-grant review (PGR) proceedings filed by either Charter Communications, Inc. or Crisp IM SAS against U.S. Patent No. 11,240,183.

While Charter Communications is a frequent defendant in patent litigation, including in the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, it does not appear to have been the defendant in this particular case.

Based on available information, counsel for the plaintiff, Disintermedation Services Inc., has not been publicly identified through docket reports or court filings. The specific attorneys who have filed appearances in this case are not available in the public domain at this time.

However, analysis of litigation patterns and related cases suggests that the plaintiff is likely represented by attorneys from the intellectual property boutique law firm Buether Joe & Carpenter, LLC. This firm specializes in patent, copyright, and trademark litigation and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Attorneys at this firm with extensive patent litigation experience include:

• Eric W. Buether

  • Firm: Buether Joe & Carpenter, LLC
  • Office Location: Dallas, TX
  • Note on Experience: Mr. Buether has a long career in intellectual property and commercial litigation and is admitted to practice in the Western District of Texas.

• Christopher Joe

  • Firm: Buether Joe & Carpenter, LLC
  • Office Location: Dallas, TX
  • Note on Experience: Mr. Joe is a founding member of the firm and focuses on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation.

Important Note: While Buether Joe & Carpenter, LLC is likely the firm representing the plaintiff, the specific attorneys of record, their precise roles (e.g., lead counsel, local counsel), and their notices of appearance are not confirmed in publicly accessible records for case number 6:22-cv-00650 as of today's date. Filings containing this information may be under seal or not yet available through public web searches.

Based on an extensive search of publicly available information, the specific counsel of record for the defendant, Charter Communications, Inc., in the Disintermedation Services Inc. v. Charter Communications, Inc. case (6:22-cv-00650) has not been identified in online dockets or news reports. Filings that would name the attorneys who have formally appeared in the case are not accessible through public web searches.

While counsel for this specific case is not confirmed, the following law firms and attorneys frequently represent Charter Communications in patent infringement litigation, including in Texas.

Firms and Attorneys Known to Represent Charter Communications in Patent Litigation

The following have been identified as counsel for Charter in other significant patent cases:

• Firm: Arnold & Porter

  • Attorneys: Marc A. Cohn (Partner)
  • Note: Represented Charter Communications and secured a complete defense jury verdict in a patent infringement case in the Eastern District of Texas.

• Firm: Greenberg Traurig, LLP

  • Attorney: Joshua L. Raskin (Partner, Co-Chair of Patent Litigation Group)
  • Note: Represents Charter in a 2024 patent infringement case in the Eastern District of Texas related to WiFi technology.

• Firm: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

  • Note: The firm successfully defended Charter Communications in a patent suit brought by Sprint, obtaining an early dismissal of one patent and summary judgment of non-infringement on two others.

• Firm: Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP

  • Attorney: Thomas L. Duston (Partner)
  • Note: Mr. Duston is a trial lawyer who has served as lead counsel for Charter Communications in over 60 patent infringement cases.

• Firm: Blue Peak Law Group

  • Attorney: Jason Choy (Partner)
  • Note: While previously at other firms, Mr. Choy has experience as trial counsel for Charter in patent litigation filed in the Eastern District of Texas.

It is plausible that one or more of these firms and attorneys have been engaged to represent Charter in the Disintermedation Services matter, but without access to the official court record, their appearance cannot be definitively confirmed.