WISE PLC et al. v. Intercurrency Software LLC

An inter partes review (IPR) was initiated by WISE PLC and WISE U.S., INC. against Intercurrency Software LLC before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to challenge the validity of US Patent 11620701. The IPR, designated IPR2025-01045, was filed on May 30, 2025, and has since concluded in a settlement.

WISE PLC is a prominent British financial technology (fintech) company, formerly known as TransferWise, headquartered in London. It specializes in global money transfers, multi-currency accounts, and financial services for both personal and business customers, enabling international payments and currency exchange. WISE U.S., INC. is its wholly-owned subsidiary, operating as a nonbank remittance transfer provider in the United States, offering international money transfer services, prepaid accounts, and debit cards. Intercurrency Software LLC, on the other hand, is identified as a patent assertion entity (PAE) or non-practicing entity (NPE). It holds intellectual property related to financial software systems, particularly currency management, investment operations, and currency-based trading software, and generates revenue through IP licensing and enforcement. The patent at issue, US Patent 11620701, is titled "Advanced financial platform methods" or "Platform for trading assets in different currencies", and generally covers technology in the currency exchange and global payment processing space, including software-implemented methods or systems related to multi-currency transactions.

The procedural posture of this case is an IPR before the PTAB, an administrative body within the USPTO. IPRs allow parties to challenge the patentability of claims in an issued patent based on prior art. This venue is critical for defendants in patent infringement lawsuits, like Wise, as it offers a potentially faster and less expensive route to invalidate patents compared to district court litigation. The case is notable as it reflects a continuing trend of NPEs, such as Intercurrency Software, asserting patents in the financial technology sector, often targeting large, well-capitalized companies offering international payment and currency exchange platforms. Intercurrency Software has a history of similar patent assertions against other fintech and financial services companies, typically involving patents related to currency trading and financial software, with several of these district court cases also ending in dismissal by joint stipulation. The settlement of this IPR suggests a negotiated resolution, a common outcome in NPE-driven patent disputes.

Key Legal Developments and Outcome for IPR2025-01045

This inter partes review (IPR) proceeding, IPR2025-01045, was filed by WISE PLC and WISE U.S., INC. (Petitioners) challenging U.S. Patent 11,620,701, owned by Intercurrency Software LLC (Patent Owner). The IPR ultimately concluded in a settlement. This IPR was likely filed in response to, or in anticipation of, patent infringement litigation initiated by Intercurrency Software LLC in various U.S. District Courts.

I. Parallel PTAB IPR Proceedings

• 2025-05-30 – IPR Petition Filed: WISE PLC and WISE U.S., INC. filed Petition IPR2025-01045 with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), challenging the validity of U.S. Patent 11,620,701.

II. Related District Court Litigation

Intercurrency Software LLC, identified as a patent assertion entity, has aggressively asserted U.S. Patent 11,620,701 (among other patents related to currency exchange and global payment processing) in multiple patent infringement lawsuits, primarily in the Eastern District of Texas. These cases likely spurred WISE PLC's IPR challenge.

• 2025-07-09 – Infringement Complaint Filed (Nium): Intercurrency Software LLC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nium Pte. Ltd. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Case No. 2:25-cv-00701). This case asserted U.S. Patent 11,620,701, among others. A docket control order set a Markman hearing for December 17, 2026, and a jury trial for June 7, 2027.
• 2025-10-09 – Infringement Complaint Filed (Ebury Partners): Intercurrency Software LLC filed a patent infringement action against Ebury Partners UK Ltd. in the Eastern District of Texas (Case No. 2:25-cv-01030). This case centered on U.S. Patent No. 11,620,701.
• 2025-10-09 – Infringement Complaint Filed (Thunes Asia): Intercurrency Software LLC also filed suit against Thunes Asia Pte. Ltd. (Case No. likely 2:25-cv-01029, E.D. Texas) asserting U.S. Patent No. 11,620,701.

III. Outcomes and Final Disposition

• 2026-02-19 – District Court Dismissal (Ebury Partners): The case Intercurrency Software LLC v. Ebury Partners UK Ltd. (2:25-cv-01030) concluded with a joint stipulation of dismissal with prejudice. The parties agreed to bear their own costs and attorneys' fees. This pre-Markman resolution suggests a confidential licensing agreement or settlement.
• 2026-03-02 – District Court Dismissal (Nium): Intercurrency Software LLC voluntarily dismissed its case against Nium Pte. Ltd. (2:25-cv-00701) with prejudice. No merits ruling, damages award, or injunctive relief was issued, and each party bore its own costs.
• 2026-05-26 – District Court Dismissal (Thunes Asia): The infringement case against Thunes Asia Pte. Ltd. concluded with Intercurrency Software LLC filing a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal with prejudice, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A)(i). No damages were awarded, and no injunctive relief was granted.
• 2026-05-26 – District Court Dismissal (Crypto.com): A patent infringement case brought by Intercurrency Software LLC against Foris DAX Asia Pte., Ltd. and Foris DAX Inc. (operating as Crypto.com) in the Texas Eastern District Court, which included U.S. Patent 11,620,701, was dismissed with prejudice via Joint Stipulation.
• Undated (Prior to Institution) – IPR Settlement: The IPR proceeding, IPR2025-01045, concluded in a settlement between WISE PLC, WISE U.S., INC., and Intercurrency Software LLC. Specific details of the settlement are not publicly available, but the IPR was resolved without reaching a final written decision on the merits of the patent's validity.

Unfortunately, the publicly available web search tools for PTAB dockets, such as the Unified Patents Portal and the general USPTO PTAB Decisions portal, do not provide specific counsel of record information for IPR2025-01045. While these resources list basic case details and outcomes for various IPRs, they do not consistently present the attorneys of record in an easily searchable format without direct access to the full docket sheets.

Since the case status is "Settlement," a notice of termination or similar order would have been filed with the PTAB. However, without direct access to the detailed docket for IPR2025-01045, identifying the specific attorneys and their firms representing WISE PLC and WISE U.S., INC. is not possible through the available public search methods.

Therefore, the counsel of record representing WISE PLC and WISE U.S., INC. in IPR2025-01045 could not be identified from publicly available information.

In IPR2025-01045, which involved WISE PLC et al. v. Intercurrency Software LLC, the proceeding concluded in a settlement, and specific counsel for Intercurrency Software LLC in this particular IPR are not explicitly detailed in the provided search results. However, based on Intercurrency Software LLC's consistent representation in other related patent infringement cases, we can infer their typical legal representation.

Intercurrency Software LLC, as a patent assertion entity, has consistently been represented by Garteiser Honea PLLC in several of its patent infringement lawsuits in the Eastern District of Texas.

Here is an overview of counsel typically representing Intercurrency Software LLC in its patent assertion activities:

• Christopher A. Honea (Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Garteiser Honea PLLC (Texas-based)
  • Note: Experienced in patent assertion litigation, particularly in the Eastern District of Texas, a venue known for its patent-plaintiff-friendly procedures.
• Randall T. Garteiser (Lead Counsel)
  • Firm: Garteiser Honea PLLC
  • Note: Co-founder of Garteiser Honea PLLC, a firm with deep roots in E.D. Texas patent litigation.
• Michael S. Fuller (Counsel)
  • Firm: Garteiser Honea PLLC
  • Note: Appears as counsel for Intercurrency Software LLC in related patent litigation.

It is important to note that while these attorneys consistently represent Intercurrency Software LLC in its district court cases, the specific filing of appearances for the IPR (IPR2025-01045) would be found on the PTAB's Public Search facility or the IPR docket, which are not directly accessible through the provided search snippets. Therefore, this information is based on their general pattern of representation for Intercurrency Software LLC in related patent matters.