Litigation summary

Known Litigation Involving U.S. Patent 6,199,048

As a foundational patent for linking physical product barcodes to online resources, U.S. Patent 6,199,048 has been the subject of multiple infringement lawsuits initiated by its assignees, primarily Neomedia Technologies, Inc. and later NM LLC. The majority of this litigation occurred in the District of Colorado and targeted companies employing QR codes and other barcode technologies for mobile marketing.

It is important to note that this patent was also the subject of a successful ex parte reexamination request filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in 2007. In July 2008, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) issued a final rejection of all 95 claims of the patent. While this did not immediately terminate ongoing litigation, it significantly influenced subsequent proceedings.

Below is a list of known litigation involving this patent. The outcomes often involved dismissals or settlements, likely influenced by the PTO's reexamination decision.

Plaintiff(s)	Defendant(s)	Jurisdiction	Case Number	Filing Date	Outcome/Status
Neomedia Technologies, Inc.	SpyderLynk, LLC	District of Colorado	1:12-cv-00939	April 9, 2012	Details on the specific outcome are not readily available but followed a pattern of litigation by Neomedia.
Neomedia Technologies, Inc.	Various (including many major retailers and brands)	District of Colorado	Multiple cases filed throughout 2013-2014	April-September 2013, April 2014	Many of these cases were filed in waves. For example, cases were filed against companies like Best Buy, Home Depot, Kohl's, Macy's, Target, and Walmart. Most appear to have been dismissed or settled, particularly following the earlier PTO reexamination decision invalidating the patent's claims.
Neomedia Technologies, Inc.	Costco Wholesale Corporation	District of Colorado	1:14-cv-01189	April 28, 2014	Closed on November 21, 2014.
Neomedia Technologies, Inc.	Scanbuy, Inc.	Eastern District of Pennsylvania	2:04-cv-02307	Details on the filing date are not immediately available.	This case was put on hold pending the PTO's reexamination of the patent.

The extensive litigation history, primarily between 2012 and 2014, underscores the patent holder's efforts to enforce its claims against the burgeoning use of QR codes in mobile marketing. However, the successful reexamination and invalidation of the patent's claims by the PTO proved to be a critical turning point, likely leading to the eventual cessation of these legal challenges. As of April 28, 2026, there is no known active litigation involving U.S. Patent 6,199,048.