Patent 7177838
Litigation summary
Past and pending lawsuits — plaintiffs, defendants, jurisdictions, outcomes, and notable rulings.
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No PTAB proceedings on file. This patent has not been challenged through Inter Partes Review, Post-Grant Review, or Covered Business Method review at the USPTO. The absence is itself a signal — well-asserted patents eventually attract IPRs.
Cases on file (20)
Group view →Specific litigation cases in our database that name US patent 7177838. The free-form analysis below may also discuss cases beyond this list.
- AML IP LLC v. Dave & Busters Incfiled Apr 17, 20263:26-cv-01250Texas Northern District CourtJudge Ed KinkeadeOpen
Defendants: Dave & Busters Inc
The accused technology is a system for processing online commercial transactions, such as purchases and payments, using electronic tokens.
- AML IP LLC v. Brinker International Payroll Company, L.P.filed Apr 17, 20263:26-cv-01242Texas Northern District CourtJudge Reed O'ConnorOpen
Defendants: Brinker International Payroll Company, L.P.
The accused products are systems and methods for processing online transactions using electronic tokens.
- AML IP LLC v. Cinemark USA Incfiled Apr 17, 20262:26-cv-00306Texas Eastern District CourtJudge Rodney GilstrapOpen
Defendants: Cinemark USA Inc
A system for conducting e-commerce transactions using electronic tokens.
- AML IP LLC v. CEC Entertainment Concepts, LPfiled Apr 17, 20263:26-cv-01249Texas Northern District CourtJudge Reed O'ConnorOpen
Defendants: CEC Entertainment Concepts, LP
A system for conducting online commercial transactions using electronic tokens.
- AML IP LLC v. Cinemark USA Incfiled Apr 17, 20263:26-cv-01252Texas Northern District CourtJudge Sam A. LindsayOpen
Defendants: Cinemark USA Inc
The accused products are systems and services for handling online commercial transactions that use electronic tokens.
- AML IP LLC v. Callaway Corpfiled Apr 17, 20262:26-cv-00310Texas Eastern District CourtOpen
Defendants: Callaway Corp
The accused product is a system for processing online purchases using electronic tokens.
- AML IP LLC v. Marriott International Incfiled Apr 17, 20262:26-cv-00307Texas Eastern District CourtOpen
Defendants: Marriott International Inc
The accused products are systems that use electronic tokens to conduct online commercial transactions.
- AML IP LLC v. RaceTrac Incfiled Apr 17, 20262:26-cv-00309Texas Eastern District CourtOpen
Defendants: RaceTrac Inc
The accused products are systems for conducting online commercial transactions and payments using electronic tokens.
- Aml Ip LLC v. Dillard's, Inc.filed Apr 5, 20257:25-cv-00156Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: Dillard's, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.filed Apr 2, 20257:25-cv-00152Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. Expedia, Inc.filed Mar 19, 20257:25-cv-00113Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: Expedia, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. Orveon Global US LLCfiled Feb 3, 20251:25-cv-00970New York Southern District Courtterminated Jul 21, 2025Settled
Defendants: Orveon Global US LLC
- Aml Ip LLC v. Advance Auto Parts, Inc.filed Nov 18, 20247:24-cv-00323Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: Advance Auto Parts, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. AutoZone, Inc.filed Nov 18, 20247:24-cv-00324Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: AutoZone, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. Chick-fil-A, Inc.filed Nov 18, 20247:24-cv-00327Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: Chick-fil-A, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.filed Oct 25, 20247:24-cv-00291Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. Domino's Pizza, Inc.filed Oct 25, 20247:24-cv-00292Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: Domino's Pizza, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. McDonald's Corp.filed Oct 25, 20247:24-cv-00293Texas Western District CourtActive
Defendants: McDonald's Corp.
- Aml Ip LLC v. Kingsisle Entertainment, Inc.filed Jan 13, 20216:21-cv-00037Texas Western District CourtLikely settled or dismissed
Defendants: Kingsisle Entertainment, Inc.
- Aml Ip LLC v. ArtCraft Entertainment, Inc.filed Jan 13, 20216:21-cv-00036Texas Western District CourtLikely settled or dismissed
Defendants: ArtCraft Entertainment, Inc.
Litigation summary
Past and pending lawsuits — plaintiffs, defendants, jurisdictions, outcomes, and notable rulings.
Litigation History of US Patent 7,177,838
As of April 28, 2026, United States Patent 7,177,838 B1 ("the '838 patent") has an extensive and well-documented history of litigation. The patent, which expired in April 2020, has been asserted against a large number of companies across various sectors, particularly in e-commerce and gaming. The current assignee and plaintiff in recent cases is Aml Ip LLC, a Texas-based entity identified as a patent assertion entity (PAE) or non-practicing entity (NPE). This entity has engaged in a broad monetization campaign, filing numerous lawsuits that allege infringement of the '838 patent's claims related to electronic tokens.
The litigation campaigns have been active for many years, with earlier cases filed by previous assignees like PayByClick Corp. and GTX Corp. The '838 patent has been described as covering a fundamental concept of using a vendor-issued digital currency for transactions, a common feature in many online platforms and free-to-play games.
The following is a representative, though not exhaustive, list of known litigation involving the '838 patent, with a focus on the recent campaigns by Aml Ip LLC. The data is primarily sourced from the Unified Patents litigation portal, accessible via the Google Patents entry for US 7,177,838 B1.
Recent Litigation (Asserted by Aml Ip LLC)
A significant wave of litigation was initiated by Aml Ip LLC in 2024 and 2025, primarily in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
| Plaintiff | Defendant(s) | Jurisdiction | Case Number(s) | Filing Date(s) | Outcome / Status (as of April 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aml Ip LLC | Orveon Global US LLC | New York Southern District Court | 1:25-cv-00970 | February 3, 2025 | Settled; Dismissed Without Prejudice on July 21, 2025. |
| Aml Ip LLC | AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:25-cv-00152 | April 2, 2025 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | Dillard's, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:25-cv-00156 | April 5, 2025 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | Cinemark USA, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:25-cv-00114 | March 19, 2025 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | Expedia, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:25-cv-00113 | March 19, 2025 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | Advance Auto Parts, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:24-cv-00323 | November 18, 2024 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | AutoZone, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:24-cv-00324 | November 18, 2024 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | Chick-fil-A, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:24-cv-00327 | November 18, 2024 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:24-cv-00291 | October 25, 2024 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | Domino's Pizza, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 7:24-cv-00292 | October 25, 2024 | Case is active. |
| Aml Ip LLC | McDonald's Corp. | Texas Western District Court | 7:24-cv-00293 | October 25, 2024 | Case is active. |
Historical Litigation
Prior to the current wave of lawsuits by Aml Ip LLC, the patent was asserted by other entities. This includes a notable campaign targeting gaming companies.
| Plaintiff | Defendant(s) | Jurisdiction | Case Number(s) | Filing Date(s) | Outcome / Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aml Ip LLC | Kingsisle Entertainment, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 6:21-cv-00037 | January 13, 2021 | Status not publicly available; likely settled or dismissed. |
| Aml Ip LLC | ArtCraft Entertainment, Inc. | Texas Western District Court | 6:21-cv-00036 | January 13, 2021 | Status not publicly available; likely settled or dismissed. |
| GTX Corp. | Playsaurus | N/A (Pre-litigation) | N/A | ~2018 | Playsaurus publicly stated its intent to fight the claim rather than pay a licensing fee. |
| PayByClick Corp. | Apple, Amazon, Ebay, Best Buy, etc. | Delaware District Court | Multiple | ~May 2009 | Lawsuits against Apple and Amazon were reportedly dropped in September 2009. |
This list is not exhaustive and is intended to be representative of the litigation activity surrounding this patent. The status of active cases is subject to change.
Generated 4/28/2026, 9:43:31 PM