Vindolor, LLC has expanded its sole litigation campaign with new suits filed against Disney Stores (2:18-cv-00375), NTW, LLC (d/b/a National Tire and Battery) (2:18-cv-00374), and Restoration Hardware (2:18-cv-00373) in the Eastern District of Texas. The asserted patent generally relates to using biometric authentication to create an "access code" based on a resulting identification profile, with defendants throughout the campaign targeted over their use of NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminals offering contactless payments. Vindolor alleges infringement through the accused terminals' compatibility with various payment platforms, including "Microsoft Wallet, Wells Fargo Wallet, Masterpass, Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Google Pay, Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and PayPal mobile" as used with a variety of Android, iOS, and/or Windows smartphones and related mobile apps.

Earlier this year, Vindolor filed lawsuits against retailers Buc-ee's, Euromarket Designs (d/b/a Crate & Barrel), Hat World, Retail Services & Systems (d/b/a Total Wine & More), and Spec's Family Partners (d/b/a Spec's Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods) over their use of NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminals offering contactless payments. The case against Buc-ee's has been dismissed with prejudice in light of an apparent settlement, while the Hat World suit has been stayed pending resolution. Spec's Wine filed third-party complaints against Truno Perpetual Point of Sale, LLC; Verifone; and WorldPay, subsequently dismissing without prejudice its claims against Verifone.

The asserted patent (6,213,391) comprises a family of one, issuing in April 2001 to named inventor William H. Lewis, with an estimated priority date in September 1997. Vindolor acquired the patent on March 21, 2018 from Customedia Technologies, L.L.C., an NPE controlled by Lewis that is currently asserting four other patents, on which he is the sole named inventor, against DISH.

Vindolor was formed in Delaware on January 12, 2017 and was registered to do business in Texas on April 27 of that year. Texas state records list the NPE's sole governing person as Douglas Baum, who signed the assignment agreement for the '391 patent as the entity's owner and managing member. Prior to his role at Vindolor, Baum reports being president and CEO of Xeris Pharmaceuticals from 2012-2017, where he also served on the board from 2011-2017; serving as a board member of Texas Medical Device Alliance, from 2008-2017; and holding a position on the board of directors at Halsa Pharmaceuticals, from 2006-2016. Texas incorporation records also identify Baum as a member of BCS Software LLC (d/b/a Bluebonnet Consulting Services & Software), a recently formed Texas entity that received a patent portfolio from Intellectual Ventures LLC in August.

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