VDPP, LLC v. Best Western International, Inc. et al.

VDPP, LLC, a patent assertion entity (PAE) with no disclosed operating address, has initiated patent infringement litigation against a diverse group of operating companies, including hospitality giant Best Western International, Inc., electronics manufacturers Cobra Electronics Corporation and LG Electronics USA, Inc., luxury automotive brand Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, and video systems provider Costar Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Costar Video Systems, LLC. VDPP's business model involves acquiring patents for licensing and litigation purposes rather than commercializing the underlying technology. The plaintiff is represented by Ramey LLP, a firm recognized for its volume patent assertion activities. The accused products, services, or technologies generally relate to image processing and display systems that allegedly infringe U.S. Patent No. 9,948,922 (the '922 patent).

The core of these lawsuits centers on U.S. Patent No. 9,948,922, titled "Faster state transitioning for continuous adjustable 3Deeps filter spectacles using multi-layered variable tint materials." Despite the title's reference to spectacles, the asserted claims of the '922 patent are directed to an apparatus and methods for processing image frames. Specifically, the technology involves obtaining and modifying (e.g., expanding) image frames from video streams, blending these modified frames, and generating a combined output for display, often in the context of creating or enhancing depth perception for visual displays, known as "3Deeps visual depth technology." While specific accused products for each defendant are not fully detailed in public records, given the patent's scope, the claims likely target aspects of the defendants' systems that involve video processing or display functionalities. For instance, in related litigation, VDPP has accused automotive companies of infringing patents related to surround-view camera systems.

These cases are procedurally spread across multiple federal district courts: the District of Arizona for Best Western International, Inc. (before District Judge Krissa M. Lanham), the Northern District of Illinois for Cobra Electronics Corporation, and the Northern District of Texas for Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, LG Electronics USA, Inc., and Costar Technologies, Inc. (often before Judge Brantley Starr). The choice of the Northern District of Texas is notable given its increasing relevance for technology patent litigation and a rise in NPE filings within that jurisdiction. The case is noteworthy as it exemplifies a common patent assertion strategy by VDPP, which has a history of filing numerous lawsuits and often opts for early voluntary dismissals without prejudice, a tactic that can be associated with licensing negotiations or forum shopping, leaving open the possibility of refiling claims. Furthermore, VDPP has faced sanctions in past litigation for pursuing "frivolous" lawsuits on expired patents and has drawn challenges to the validity of its asserted patents, such as an ex parte reexamination proceeding filed by Unified Patents against a related VDPP patent ('452 patent). The '922 patent itself has been noted to have expired prior to the filing of some complaints, potentially limiting recoverable damages to past infringement.

The patent infringement litigation initiated by VDPP, LLC involves multiple defendants across several federal district courts. The asserted patent is U.S. Patent No. 9,948,922. As of July 10, 2026, some cases are active, while at least one has been dismissed.

Here's a chronological overview of key legal developments:

Filing & Initial Pleadings

• January 29, 2026: VDPP, LLC v. Best Western International, Inc. (D. Ariz.)
  VDPP, LLC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Best Western International, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. The case number is 2:2026cv00640.
• February 16, 2026: VDPP, LLC v. Cobra Electronics Corporation (N.D. Ill.)
  VDPP, LLC initiated a patent infringement action against Cobra Electronics Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The case number is 1:26-cv-01703.
• February 18, 2026: VDPP, LLC v. Costar Technologies Inc. (N.D. Tex.)
  VDPP, LLC filed a patent infringement complaint against Costar Technologies Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The case number is 3:26-cv-00526. This case involved U.S. Patent No. 9,948,922.
• February 19, 2026: VDPP, LLC v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (N.D. Tex.)
  VDPP, LLC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The case number is 3:2026cv00544.
• April 3, 2026: Amended Complaint against Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (N.D. Tex.)
  VDPP, LLC filed an amended complaint, adding U.S. Patent Nos. 9,426,452 and 9,716,874 to the asserted patents in the case against Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
• April 17, 2026: Motion for Extension of Time by Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (N.D. Tex.)
  Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC filed a motion for an extension of time to file a response to the amended complaint.

Outcome for Costar Technologies Inc. (N.D. Tex.)

• May 18, 2026: Notice of Voluntary Dismissal with Prejudice
  VDPP, LLC filed a notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice against Costar Technologies Inc. in the Northern District of Texas.
• May 19, 2026: Order Dismissing Case
  The Court issued an order dismissing the case against Costar Technologies Inc. with prejudice, based on VDPP's notice.

Status of other cases and parallel proceedings

• There is no specific docket information readily available for LG Electronics USA, Inc. in D. Ariz. as of the current date, other than the general mention of VDPP LLC filing patent cases in that district around the same period.
• For the cases against Best Western International, Inc. (D. Ariz.) and Cobra Electronics Corporation (N.D. Ill.), no detailed docket entries regarding answers, counterclaims, substantive pre-trial motions, Markman outcomes, discovery milestones, or trial events are publicly available in the search results beyond the initial filing. These cases appear to be ongoing.
• No information about parallel PTAB IPR/PGR proceedings specifically challenging U.S. Patent No. 9,948,922 was found in the provided search results. While there are general mentions of IPRs and their impact on district court cases, no specific IPR related to this patent has been identified.

The initial web searches revealed significant news and analysis coverage related to VDPP, LLC's patent litigation activities, though not extensively focused on the specific "Best Western International, Inc. et al." case directly. Instead, the coverage largely highlights VDPP, LLC's broader litigation strategy as a non-practicing entity (NPE) and particularly focuses on cases involving US Patent No. 9,426,452 and US Patent No. 10,021,380, both related to 3D display and viewing technology, rather than the US Patent No. 9,948,922 mentioned in the prompt. While the case against Best Western and others is mentioned in a retail patent litigation report, detailed articles about its specific developments are not readily available in the initial search results.

Several articles discuss VDPP, LLC's suit against Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., regarding U.S. Patent No. 9,426,452, which is directed to a 3D display and glasses system. This case is considered significant because of a pending Federal Circuit decision that may impact patent settlement agreements and marking requirements. VDPP, LLC, as an NPE, was accused by Volkswagen of failing to comply with the patent marking statute, leading to the district court dismissing the case with prejudice and granting Volkswagen's motion for attorneys' fees under 35 U.S.C. § 285, holding both VDPP and its counsel jointly and severally liable. The core issue revolves around VDPP's prior settlement agreements that did not impose a marking obligation on its licensees, and its position that these were not traditional licenses triggering such an obligation was met with skepticism by the Federal Circuit panel during oral arguments. Patently-O further reported on July 17, 2024, that the case was found exceptional due to the frivolousness and objective unreasonableness of VDPP's claims and litigation positions, especially pursuing damages on an expired patent and mischaracterizing prior licenses.

Other reports indicate VDPP, LLC has filed numerous patent infringement lawsuits against various technology companies, often asserting patents related to "3Deeps" technology for enhanced visual displays and adjustable 3D filter spectacles. For instance, in October 2025, VDPP, LLC filed a lawsuit against The TJX Companies, Inc., asserting U.S. Patent No. 7,030,902 and U.S. Patent No. 9,948,922, among others, highlighting the firm's commitment to enforcing its patent rights in advanced display technologies. Similarly, a June 2026 PatSnap analysis detailed VDPP, LLC's voluntary dismissal without prejudice in a case against Xiaomi USA, LLC, involving US Patent No. 10,021,380 and US Patent No. 9,948,922, covering depth-enhanced visual display processing. This pattern of early, sometimes without prejudice, dismissals is noted in other cases against entities like TP-Link Systems Inc., CostarHD LLC, Continental Automotive Systems U.S., Inc., GE Healthcare, and Volvo Group North America, LLC, often occurring before defendants could file an answer or summary judgment motion, and with each party bearing its own costs. These swift resolutions, sometimes "with prejudice" as seen in the FCA U.S., LLC case in December 2024, suggest early settlements or strategic withdrawals rather than protracted litigation on the merits.

While the prompt specifically asks for coverage on VDPP, LLC v. Best Western International, Inc. et al. concerning patent 9948922, most news and analysis articles found through web search tend to focus on other VDPP, LLC cases, particularly VDPP, LLC v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. and other defendants, often involving different patent numbers or a broader set of patents including 9948922. The case against Best Western International, Inc., Cobra Electronics Corporation, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, LG Electronics USA, Inc., and Costar Technologies, Inc. is primarily mentioned in retail patent litigation reports as an active or recently active case as of February 2026, where VDPP, LLC is listed as the plaintiff, asserting patents including 9,948,922. However, detailed articles or significant analysis specifically on the developments, significance, damages sought, or outcomes of the "Best Western" case itself were not prominent in the search results.

Sources

• ipiqblog.com
• finnegan.com
• patentlyo.com
• patentlyo.com
• rameyfirm.com
• patsnap.com
• patsnap.com
• patsnap.com
• patsnap.com
• patsnap.com
• patsnap.com
• patsnap.com

Plaintiff VDPP, LLC is represented by Ramey LLP, with William P. Ramey III identified as a prominent attorney for the plaintiff in these patent infringement cases.

Here is the identified counsel:

• Name: William P. Ramey III
• Role: Lead Counsel
• Firm: Ramey LLP, Houston, Texas
• Note on experience: William P. Ramey III is the Managing Partner at Ramey LLP, a full-service intellectual property law firm. His firm works with a national client base and is dedicated to enhancing client results through efficient practice management and innovative technologies. He has been involved in numerous patent infringement lawsuits on behalf of VDPP, LLC, concerning patents such as U.S. Patent No. 9,948,922. Ramey has been noted for his vigorous pursuit of patent rights and has faced scrutiny regarding litigation conduct in other VDPP, LLC cases, including a Federal Circuit review of sanctions related to an expired patent claim against Volkswagen.

Specifically, in VDPP LLC v. Mercedes-Benz USA LLC in the Northern District of Texas (Case No. 3:2026cv00544), filings show "Ramey, William" as the attorney for VDPP LLC. While specific docket entries for the District of Arizona (VDPP LLC v. Best Western International Incorporated, Case No. 2:2026cv00640) and Northern District of Illinois (VDPP, LLC v. Cobra Electronics Corporation, Case No. 1:26-cv-01703) do not explicitly list the attorney names in the provided snippets, Ramey LLP has consistently represented VDPP, LLC in a broad campaign of patent litigation involving Patent No. 9,948,922 across various districts, including cases that were ongoing or recently active as of early 2026 in the District of Arizona, Northern District of Illinois, and Northern District of Texas, as per the case metadata. Therefore, it is highly probable that Ramey LLP and William P. Ramey III are also representing VDPP, LLC in these specific cases.

Counsel of Record for Defendants in VDPP, LLC Patent Infringement Cases

Identifying the counsel of record for each defendant across the various districts involved in VDPP, LLC's patent infringement litigation requires reviewing individual case dockets. As of July 10, 2026, the following information has been gathered for the defendants:

Best Western International, Inc. (District of Arizona)

• Case Number: 2:26-cv-00185-JZB
• No counsel of record for Best Western International, Inc. could be identified from publicly available docket information for this specific case at this time. The case was filed on January 29, 2026.

Cobra Electronics Corporation (Northern District of Illinois)

• Case Number: 1:26-cv-01703
• No counsel of record for Cobra Electronics Corporation could be identified from publicly available docket information for this specific case at this time. The case was filed on February 16, 2026.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Northern District of Illinois)

• No active patent infringement case filed by VDPP, LLC against Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC in the Northern District of Illinois with the patent-in-suit (9948922) could be definitively identified from public records. While Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC has been involved in other patent litigation in the Northern District of Illinois in the past, and a VDPP case exists in the Northern District of Texas against them, information for a current N.D. Ill. case for this specific litigation is not available.

LG Electronics USA, Inc. (Northern District of Illinois)

• No specific case number or counsel of record for LG Electronics USA, Inc. in a VDPP, LLC patent infringement case in the Northern District of Illinois could be identified from publicly available docket information. LG Electronics USA, Inc. has been represented by Fish & Richardson P.C. and DLA Piper LLP (US) in other patent litigation, including a Federal Circuit appeal involving LG Electronics Inc. and LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. concerning a different patent. However, this does not confirm their representation in the specific VDPP, LLC case in the Northern District of Illinois.

Costar Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Costar Video Systems, LLC (Northern District of Texas)

• Case Number: 3:26-cv-00526
• The case was dismissed with prejudice on May 19, 2026. Counsel who appeared for Costar Technologies, Inc. include:
  • Nan Lan
    • Role: Counsel
    • Firm: Not specified in the search results, but associated with the filing of an unopposed motion for extension of time to file answer.
    • Note: Further information on firm and experience not readily available from the provided search snippets.
  • Michael Strapp
    • Role: Counsel (admitted pro hac vice)
    • Firm: Not specified in the search results, but admitted pro hac vice on March 24, 2026.
    • Note: Further information on firm and experience not readily available from the provided search snippets.

Due to limitations in accessing direct PACER docket sheets for all cases, comprehensive details for all counsel could not be fully ascertained from public web searches. For cases where counsel information is not provided, it is likely that such details would be found within the full docket entries, which are typically accessible through a PACER subscription.