We previously reported on a scheduling order governing FRAND and damages-related discovery in InterDigital’s two patent infringement lawsuits pending in Delaware against ZTE and Nokia Inc., Nokia Corp. and Microsoft Mobile Oy (MMO), respectively.  On Friday, the court entered a modified, agreed-to scheduling order that extends the time to complete such discovery by approximately seven (7) months.

As background, trials on liability were bifurcated from trials on damages and the defendants’ FRAND-related affirmative defenses.  ZTE’s liability trial on three (3) of InterDigital’s asserted patents occured first and, last Fall, a Delaware jury found that ZTE’s accused 4G mobile devices infringed those patents.  ZTE asserts a number of FRAND-related affirmative defenses to this finding of infringement.  A second Delaware jury later found that ZTE’s accused 4G mobile devices did not infringe a fourth patent asserted by InterDigital.

In January of this year, the court entered a scheduling order setting December 4, 2015 as the deadline for completing FRAND and damages-related discovery in both the ZTE and Nokia/MMO cases, with the trial on these issues tentatively scheduled to take place in the Spring of 2016.

The liability trial against Nokia/MMO was scheduled to occur in April of this year.  However, that trial was postponed until November.  As a result of this change in Nokia/MMO’s liability trial date, the parties proposed, and, on Friday, the court entered, a scheduling order modifying the FRAND and damages-related discovery period and target trial dates as follows:

  • Completion of fact discovery related to FRAND/damages:  Deadline moved from August 21, 2015 to March 4, 2016;
  • Disclosure of expert testimony for party with burden of proof:  Deadline moved from September 18, 2015  to April 15, 2016;
  • Supplemental/rebuttal expert disclosure:  Deadline moved from October 16, 2015 to May 13, 2016;
  • Reply expert reports from party with burden of proof:  Deadline moved from November 9, 2015 to June 9, 2016;
  • Completion of expert discovery:  Deadline moved from December 4, 2015 to July 13, 2016;
  • Joint letter outlining any issues the parties believe must be addressed at the status conference:  Deadline moved from December 8, 2015 to July 20, 2016;
  • Status conference:  Moved from December 15, 2015 to August 22, 2016;
  • Dispositive motions and deadline to object to expert testimony:  Moved from December 29, 2015 to August 5, 2016;
  • ZTE target trial date:  Moved from March 21, 2016 to October 17, 2016; and
  • MMO/Nokia target trial date:  Moved from April 11, 2016 to November 14, 2016.