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Court Maintains DJ Jurisdiction Over Amazon's Counterclaim in Dispute over i-names and Address Book Information

By Karen E. Keller, Andrew A. Lundgren et al.

In the case Cordance Corp. v. Amazon.com, Inc., C.A. No. 06-491-MPT, Memo. Order (D. Del. January 22, 2008), Cordance Corp. has alleged that Amazon's trademarked "1-click" technology infringes its patent covering i-name technology. Amazon.com filed a declaratory judgment counterclaim alleging that Cordance's promotion of the i-name services infringes its patent covering software realted to personal address books. Cordance moved to dismiss this counterclaim and the Court subsequently denied the motion. See also posting on 12/04/07: Another "Case or Controversy" Decision Post- "MedImmune". This opinion addresses Cordance's motion for reconsideration and motion for leave to file a reply memorandum including a motion for Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(c) sanctions. Id. at 1.

The Court found that unlike the cases where there is a covenant not to sue and the patent holder abandons the infringement allegations, Amazon is not abandoning its claims here. Furthermore, Cordance has not stopped or agreed to stop all allegedly infringing activities. To divest the Court of declaratory judgment jurisdiction, the Court implies that the cessation of all potentially infringing activities either direct or indirect must be shown. Id. at 5.

Magistrate Judge Thynge further noted that Cordance's attempts in its motion to engage in the court in a facutal and legal analysis of Amazon's counterclaims would not succeed and that her analysis would stick to the issues at hand. Id. at 5.

Full post as published by Delaware IP Law Blog on January 24, 2008 (boomark / email).