May 25, 2024
Sterling Computers Corporation has followed up an April 2024 case against Microsoft with a pair of suits in May, one against Meta Platforms ( 1:24-cv-00551) and the other against X (f/k/a Twitter) ( 1:24-cv-00552), both also filed in the Western District of Texas and both over a single patent generally related to determining a "relevance score" for electronic content sent to a user. The defendants are accused of infringement through the use of content recommendation and ranking systems on the Facebook and X social media platforms, respectively.
Comprising a single-member family, the asserted patent (7,716,217) issued in May 2010 with estimated priority in January 2006, based on the filing of a provisional application. Its named inventors are Justin and Paul Marston and Andrew S. Hatch. The '217 patent was assigned to Sterling Computers in September 2014 from Bluespace Software, the one-time CEO of which, Pat Motola, describes the company as a "[s]oftware company selling multi-level applications and messaging solutions to the Defense and Intelligence community". Justin Marston indicates on social media that he founded Bluespace (apparently in July 2001) and acted as its CEO over two distinct periods of time.
Paul Marston identifies himself on social media as the "Principal Chair" with C12 Center of New England, the vision of which is advertised on a public website as "to change the world by advancing the gospel in the marketplace". The enterprise realizes this "vision . . . with the help of Missionpreneurs—Christian CEOs or executives who combine faith and business experience to create Kingdom impact in the marketplace". These "missionpreneurs" are apparently called "chairs" at C12.
Sterling Computers was formed in California on August 12, 1996, with its most recent corporate filing identifying Brad Moore as its CEO and Jennifer Deitloff as its CFO and secretary. There, the entity describes its type of business as "RESALE IT EQUIPMENT", while on its public website, the plaintiff describes itself as an "ISO 9001:2015 certified firm that is committed to providing the highest quality of IT sales and services".
The 2014 transfer from Bluespace to Sterling involved four issued US patents, another of which (8,073,911) Sterling asserted against Microsoft last month. For details, see "Email Storage Suit Targets Microsoft" (April 2024). Currently available USPTO records suggest Sterling holds about a dozen patent assets. DiNovo Price LLP represents Sterling. The Microsoft suit has been assigned to District Judge Robert L. Pitman, the other two yet to be doled out. 5/22, Western District of Texas.
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