Horace Mann Insurance Company v. Aloft Media, LLC

Case Overview and Background

This now-terminated case was a declaratory judgment action initiated by Horace Mann Insurance Company, a large Illinois-based insurance and financial services company primarily serving educators, against Aloft Media, LLC. Aloft Media is a Texas-based entity widely identified as a non-practicing entity (NPE) or patent assertion entity (PAE), which holds patents and generates revenue through licensing and litigation rather than producing goods or services. Horace Mann filed the suit in response to a July 25, 2025, notice letter from Aloft Media which accused Horace Mann's corporate website of infringing U.S. Patent No. 10,372,793. The accused technology was the website's drop-down menu system, which Aloft alleged infringed its patent on methods for displaying hyperlink information to a user.

The single patent at issue, U.S. Patent No. 10,372,793, is titled "Hyperlink with graphical cue" and generally covers a system where a user's selection of a first hyperlink representation causes the display of a second set of hyperlink representations without navigating away from the initial webpage. Horace Mann sought a court declaration that its website did not infringe the patent and/or that the patent was invalid. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, a logical venue given that Horace Mann's headquarters is located in Springfield, Illinois, within the district. Horace Mann argued that venue was proper because a substantial part of the events occurred there, and Aloft purposefully directed its patent enforcement communications into the district.

This case is notable as part of a broader assertion campaign by Aloft Media against numerous companies across various sectors, often targeting the common website feature of drop-down menus. Aloft Media, an entity of Oso IP, LLC, has filed at least 14 patent infringement lawsuits in Texas and sent numerous demand letters, prompting several other recipients, like Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co., to file similar preemptive declaratory judgment actions. These cases often challenge the validity of the '793 patent, arguing the described technology is not new or inventive, particularly under the standards set by the Supreme Court's Alice decision regarding abstract ideas on a computer. The pattern of litigation has drawn the attention of organizations like Unified Patents, which has sponsored a contest seeking prior art to invalidate claims of the '793 patent.

Swift End to Insurance Company's Patent Challenge

SPRINGFIELD, IL – A declaratory judgment action initiated by Horace Mann Insurance Company against patent licensing entity Aloft Media, LLC, concluded swiftly after just over two and a half months. The case, which centered on a patent for website hyperlink technology, was voluntarily dismissed by Horace Mann, likely indicating a rapid settlement between the parties.

Key Case Developments & Outcome

Filing and Initial Pleadings (2025-09-05)
Horace Mann Insurance Company filed a complaint for declaratory judgment on September 5, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The action sought a ruling that Horace Mann's corporate website did not infringe U.S. Patent No. 10,372,793, and/or that the patent is invalid.

The complaint was a preemptive measure following a demand letter from Aloft Media dated July 25, 2025, which accused Horace Mann of infringement and included a claim chart. In its filing, Horace Mann argued that its website's drop-down menu functionality was distinct from the technology described in the '793 patent, which relates to a method for displaying a preview of a hyperlink's destination without navigating away from the original page.

Aloft Media, a Texas-based LLC, is identified in other lawsuits as a non-practicing entity (NPE) that has asserted the '793 patent against numerous companies across various industries.

Pre-Trial and Final Disposition (2025-11-04 to 2025-11-21)
The court docket shows limited activity, characteristic of a case that resolves before significant litigation milestones are reached.

• 2025-11-04: Defendant Aloft Media filed a consent motion for an extension of time to file its answer to the complaint. The requested deadline was November 20, 2025. This is the only substantive filing from the defendant noted on the docket and indicates the parties were likely engaged in discussions.
• 2025-11-21: Before Aloft Media filed a formal answer or any counterclaims, Horace Mann filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal. The court terminated the case the same day.

The filing of a voluntary dismissal, particularly after a consent motion to extend time for an answer, strongly suggests the parties reached a settlement. The terms of such agreements are typically confidential, but the common outcome in these scenarios involves the patent holder agreeing not to sue the accused infringer, often in exchange for a nuisance-value payment or a covenant not to sue.

The case never approached substantive stages like claim construction or summary judgment.

Parallel PTAB Proceedings
There is no public record of Horace Mann Insurance Company filing an inter partes review (IPR) or post-grant review (PGR) petition with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) challenging the validity of U.S. Patent No. 10,372,793. Given the quick resolution of the district court case, it is unlikely that such a proceeding was initiated. However, the '793 patent has been the subject of prior art searches by organizations like Unified Patents, which often precedes a formal validity challenge at the PTAB by industry groups or other defendants.

Based on a review of the case docket and other public records, the following counsel appeared on behalf of the plaintiff, Horace Mann Insurance Company.

Plaintiff's Counsel

• Name: Jason S. Callicoat
  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP (Chicago, IL office)
  • Note on experience: Mr. Callicoat is a Partner at his firm focusing on insurance coverage and commercial litigation; his experience includes representing corporate entities in matters such as trade-secret theft and defending software companies. Docket entries show Mr. Callicoat filed the Notice of Voluntary Dismissal on behalf of Horace Mann.

Counsel for Defendant Aloft Media, LLC Identified

Research into the court docket for Horace Mann Insurance Company v. Aloft Media, LLC has identified the counsel of record for the defendant. Docket entries confirm that only one attorney filed a notice of appearance on behalf of Aloft Media, LLC before the case was terminated.

Defendant's Counsel

• Name: Michael A. Benefield, I
  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Buss & Benefield, PLLC (Greenwood, Indiana)
  • Note: Mr. Benefield has represented Aloft Media, LLC in prior patent litigation and has extensive experience handling patent infringement cases, particularly in the Eastern District of Texas. A docket entry from October 23, 2025, confirms his appearance in this specific matter.