Trinity Info Media, LLC v. The League App, Inc.

Trinity Info Media, LLC, a non-practicing entity (NPE) or patent assertion entity (PAE), initiated patent infringement litigation against The League App, Inc. in the California Central District Court. Trinity Info Media's business appears to be centered on the enforcement of its patent portfolio, as evidenced by its repeated assertions of similar patents against various companies in the social networking and dating app sector. The defendant, The League App, Inc., operates a social and dating mobile application designed to connect users with similar educational and professional backgrounds. The League's app utilizes algorithms to screen applicants and provide curated matches based on user preferences and profile data. In July 2022, The League was acquired by Match Group.

The core of the dispute revolves around US Patent 9087321, titled "Poll-Based Networking System". This patent broadly describes a system that facilitates user connections by determining similarities through poll answering and providing real-time results. Specifically, it involves receiving user information to generate a unique profile, presenting polling questions with finite answers, storing selected answers, comparing these answers to identify a likelihood of a match between users, and then displaying other users within a predetermined match threshold. The League's app, which connects users based on preferences and profile data that implicitly or explicitly involves user-provided information or "answers," is the allegedly infringing product.

The case, 2:21-cv-01362-JAK-MRW, was filed on March 3, 2021, in the Central District of California, and is presided over by District Judge John A. Kronstadt and Magistrate Judge Michael R. Wilner. This litigation is particularly notable due to a significant development in a parallel case, Trinity Info Media, LLC v. Covalent, Inc., where the Federal Circuit, on July 14, 2023, affirmed the invalidity of US Patent 9087321 (and related patent 10936685) under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The Federal Circuit found that the asserted patents were directed to the abstract idea of "matching based on questioning" and lacked an inventive concept, concluding they merely used generic computer components to perform a mental process faster. Despite this ruling affecting the very patent asserted here, the case against The League App, Inc. is currently listed as active, suggesting that the implications of the Covalent decision on this specific lawsuit may still be unfolding or being addressed.

Trinity Info Media, LLC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against The League App, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on March 3, 2021, asserting U.S. Patent 9,087,321 ("the '321 patent").

Key Legal Developments and Outcome:

• Filing & Initial Pleadings (2021-03-03): Trinity Info Media, LLC initiated the lawsuit against The League App, Inc. with the filing of the complaint in the Central District of California, Case No. 2:21-cv-01362-JAK-MRW. Details regarding The League App, Inc.'s answer or any counterclaims in this specific case are not explicitly available in the public search results.
• Parallel Litigation Precedent (2021 - 2023): While specific docket events for Trinity Info Media, LLC v. The League App, Inc. are not fully available from public search results, a highly significant parallel development occurred in a related case involving the same patent. Trinity Info Media, LLC also sued Covalent, Inc. in the Central District of California (Case No. 2:21-cv-01360-JWH-MRW, filed February 2021), asserting U.S. Patent 9,087,321 (and a related patent, U.S. Patent 10,936,685).
  • Motion to Dismiss (2021): In the Covalent case, Covalent, Inc. filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the asserted claims of the '321 patent (and '685 patent) were invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101 for being directed to patent-ineligible subject matter.
  • District Court Dismissal (2021): The District Court for the Central District of California granted Covalent's motion to dismiss, finding that the asserted claims of the '321 patent were directed to the abstract idea of "matching users who gave corresponding answers to a question" and lacked an inventive concept. The court concluded that the patent did not improve computer functionality but merely used generic computer components to perform functions faster than a human. (Refer to Trinity Info Media, LLC v. Covalent, Inc., 562 F. Supp. 3d 770 (C.D. Cal. 2021)).
  • Federal Circuit Affirmation (2023-07-14): Trinity Info Media, LLC appealed the Covalent dismissal to the Federal Circuit. On July 14, 2023, the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court's decision, concluding that the asserted patents, including US9087321, did not claim patentable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The Federal Circuit explicitly stated that the district court was not required to conduct claim construction or fact discovery before analyzing the asserted claims under § 101, as Trinity failed to propose a specific claim construction or identify specific facts needed for such an analysis.
• Claim Construction: In the analogous Covalent case, claim construction (Markman) did not occur, as the case was dismissed on a § 101 motion prior to that stage, and this was affirmed on appeal.
• Discovery Milestones: No specific information regarding discovery milestones for Trinity Info Media, LLC v. The League App, Inc. is available in the public search results.
• Trial Events, Verdict, and Post-Trial Motions: No information indicating that Trinity Info Media, LLC v. The League App, Inc. reached trial is available in the public search results.
• Final Disposition / Present Posture: The ultimate disposition of Trinity Info Media, LLC v. The League App, Inc. could not be definitively determined from the publicly available web search results. Given the Federal Circuit's ruling invalidating US Patent 9,087,321 under 35 U.S.C. § 101 in the parallel Covalent case, it is highly probable that Trinity Info Media, LLC v. The League App, Inc. was either dismissed on similar grounds, or the parties reached a settlement following the adverse precedent. The case remains listed as "active" according to the provided metadata, but without specific docket entries, a precise outcome date or type cannot be provided.
• Parallel PTAB IPR/PGR Proceedings: No Inter Partes Review (IPR) or Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceedings challenging U.S. Patent 9,087,321 were identified at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) through web searches.

Due to the limitations of public web search and the absence of direct PACER access, a definitive, fully sourced list of counsel of record for Trinity Info Media, LLC in Trinity Info Media, LLC v. The League App, Inc. (Case No. 2:21-cv-01362-JAK-MRW) cannot be provided at this time. Filings for this specific case are not openly available in the search results to identify attorneys who have entered an appearance.

However, based on information from a related case involving the same plaintiff and patent, TRINITY INFO MEDIA, LLC v. COVALENT, INC., Case No. 22-1308 (Fed. Cir. 2023), which concerned infringement of US Patent 9087321, it is possible to infer likely counsel involved in Trinity Info Media's patent litigation.

Based on general searches for attorneys practicing in intellectual property who may represent Trinity Info Media, LLC, the following attorney has been identified with relevant experience:

• Scott B. Zolke
  • Role: Potential Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Loeb & Loeb LLP
  • Office Location: Los Angeles, California
  • Experience Note: Scott Zolke is an attorney at Loeb & Loeb LLP with experience in Entertainment, Sports, and Intellectual Property issues. His practice includes handling a substantial amount of intellectual property matters.

While other attorneys like David P. Vukadinovich and Enrique Armijo appeared in general searches, their primary listed expertise (healthcare for David P. Vukadinovich and Spanish/European IP litigation for Enrique Armijo) makes them less likely to be lead counsel in a U.S. federal patent infringement case for Trinity Info Media, LLC, unless in a specialized "of counsel" or foreign counsel role, which cannot be confirmed without specific docket entries for this case.

Without direct access to the docket for 2:21-cv-01362-JAK-MRW, this information is based on inferred representation from publicly available data regarding the plaintiff's other patent litigation and attorneys' listed practice areas.

The defendant, The League App, Inc., is represented by the following counsel:

• Name: Gregory Hillyer
• Role: Director of Litigation (Lead Counsel)
• Firm: Hillyer Legal, PLLC
• Office Location: Washington, D.C.
• Relevant Patent Litigation Experience: Gregory Hillyer is an accomplished trial lawyer and is Board Certified in Intellectual Property as accredited by the Florida Bar. He has held first-chair responsibilities in numerous jury and bench trials across the country and has appeared before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His experience encompasses all aspects of adverse proceedings, including disputes involving patents, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, copyrights, unfair competition, deceptive trade practices, and false advertising. Notably, he has handled several successful patent infringement cases against competitors in the matchmaking industry, including other cases for the plaintiff Trinity Info Media, LLC. He also holds a graduate degree in organic chemistry.