Untitled case

This patent infringement lawsuit, 1:26-cv-00989, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on April 17, 2026. The plaintiff is Empire Technology Development LLC, and the defendant is Intel Corporation. Empire Technology Development LLC appears to be a patent assertion entity (PAE) or non-practicing entity (NPE), a common characteristic of many patent plaintiffs, especially in the Western District of Texas. Intel Corporation is a major operating company known globally as a leading manufacturer of semiconductor products, including microprocessors and chipsets.

The case involves alleged infringement of U.S. Patent No. US8307116B2, titled "Wireless communication system." The patent broadly describes a wireless response system and method, which includes at least one handheld device capable of transmitting and receiving information, and a base unit. This system is designed for applications such as audience response systems used in educational or corporate settings to gather responses from individuals at a central location. The specific accused product or service offered by Intel that allegedly infringes this patent has not been detailed in the initial available public information, but would typically involve wireless communication or interactive device technologies.

The procedural posture places the case in the Western District of Texas, a highly active venue for patent litigation. This district became a favored forum for patent plaintiffs, particularly NPEs, after 2018, largely due to the patent-friendly rules and practices of District Judge Alan D. Albright, a former intellectual property litigator who has welcomed patent cases. The specific division is not immediately apparent, but many patent cases in the Western District of Texas are assigned to Judge Albright in the Waco division. The Western District of Texas's popularity stems from its litigant-friendly rules, which include a reluctance to transfer cases out of the district and an increased burden on defendants to show that a new venue is "clearly more convenient" for transfer motions. The notability of this case stems from the ongoing trend of NPEs like Empire Technology Development LLC asserting patents against large technology operating companies like Intel in this specific venue. The frequent filing of such cases in the Western District of Texas often leads to significant litigation, including motions to transfer venue, and sometimes, parallel challenges at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), though no such PTAB linkage is currently noted for this specific case.

Recent Patent Infringement Litigation: Empire Technology Development LLC v. Intel Corporation

Case Number: 1:26-cv-00989
Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
Patents at Issue: US8307116B2
Parties:

• Plaintiff: Empire Technology Development LLC
• Defendant: Intel Corporation
  Current Status: Active, early stage.

Key Legal Developments

As of June 11, 2026, the patent infringement case of Empire Technology Development LLC v. Intel Corporation is in its very early stages.

• Filing & Initial Pleadings:
  • The lawsuit was filed on April 17, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Empire Technology Development LLC is the plaintiff, and Intel Corporation is the defendant.

Given the recent filing date, there have been no significant developments in the litigation regarding pre-trial motions, claim construction, discovery, trial, or final disposition.

Parallel PTAB IPR/PGR Proceedings

A search of the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) records for patent US8307116B2 did not immediately reveal any active or concluded Inter Partes Review (IPR) or Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceedings related to this specific patent. Therefore, there are currently no known parallel PTAB proceedings affecting this litigation.

It appears that Empire Technology Development LLC is the plaintiff in the patent infringement case 1:26-cv-00989 in the Texas Western District Court, filed on April 17, 2026.

The following attorneys from Folio Law Group PLLC are associated with the case and likely represent the plaintiff, Empire Technology Development LLC:

• Cliff Win, Jr.
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Folio Law Group PLLC
  • Office Location: Specific office location not immediately available in the search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Further details on specific patent litigation experience or notable past cases for Cliff Win, Jr. were not provided in the initial search results.
• Joseph M. Abraham
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Folio Law Group PLLC
  • Office Location: Specific office location not immediately available in the search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Further details on specific patent litigation experience or notable past cases for Joseph M. Abraham were not provided in the initial search results.
• Timothy Franklin Dewberry
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Folio Law Group PLLC
  • Office Location: Specific office location not immediately available in the search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Further details on specific patent litigation experience or notable past cases for Timothy Franklin Dewberry were not provided in the initial search results.
• Alexandra Fellowes
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Folio Law Group PLLC
  • Office Location: Specific office location not immediately available in the search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Further details on specific patent litigation experience or notable past cases for Alexandra Fellowes were not provided in the initial search results.
• Crawford Maclain Wells
  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Folio Law Group PLLC
  • Office Location: Specific office location not immediately available in the search results.
  • Relevant Experience: Further details on specific patent litigation experience or notable past cases for Crawford Maclain Wells were not provided in the initial search results.

Further investigation into firm websites or more detailed docket entries would be required to determine specific roles (e.g., lead counsel, local counsel) and to gather detailed patent litigation experience for each attorney. The initial search results did not indicate any sealed filings that would prevent the identification of counsel.

Here is the counsel of record representing the defendant(s) in the patent infringement case Empire Technology Development LLC v. Intel Corporation, Case No. 1:26-cv-00989, in the Texas Western District Court:

Defendant: Intel Corporation

• Sarah R. Frazier

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale)
  • Office Location: Boston, Massachusetts
  • Experience: Ms. Frazier focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation, including patent disputes across various industries such as smartphones, microprocessors, and pharmaceuticals. She has been a member of WilmerHale trial teams in federal district courts and handles appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

• Melissa Richards Smith

  • Role: Counsel
  • Firm: Gillam & Smith, LLP
  • Office Location: While specific office location is not detailed in the provided snippets for Melissa Richards Smith, Gillam & Smith, LLP is a well-known Texas-based litigation firm, often serving as local counsel in patent cases in the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas. Further research would be needed to pinpoint her exact office within the firm.
  • Experience: Further specific experience for Melissa Richards Smith regarding patent litigation in this case is not detailed in the provided search results.