In a recent Memorandum Opinion, Judge Richard G. Andrews granted defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint for failure to state a claim, on the ground that plaintiffs’ asserted patent , U.S. Patent No. 8,976,955 (“the ’955 patent”), fails to claim patentable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101. Nice Systems Ltd. v. Clickfox, Inc., C.A. No. 15-743-RGA (D. Del. Sept. 15, 2016). The ’955 patent is directed to a “system and method of tracking user web interactions and using that information to generate real-time recommendations when a contact center agent is later contacted by that user.” Id. at 2. Under step one of the Mayo/Alice analysis, Judge Andrews found that “the claims are directed to the abstract idea of cross-channel customer service, i.e., gathering customer information from one communication channel and using it to engage the customer via another communication channel.” Id. at 7. Under step two, Judge Andrews concluded that the “claims . . . do not add any inventive concept to the abstract idea of cross-channel customer service.” Id. at 12. As Judge Andrews explained, “Plaintiffs’ arguments—focusing on the fact that the claims require automatic, real-time analysis—confirm that the claims are merely directed to using generic computer components to add efficiency and speed to the abstract idea of cross-channel customer service.” Id. at 12-13. Judge Andrews also noted that “unlike in DDR Holdings, the problem the ’955 patent purportedly addresses is not itself inherently limited to the specific technological environment claimed by the patentee.” Id. at 14.
Nice Systems Ltd. v. Clickfox, Inc., C.A. No. 15-743-RGA (D. Del. Sept. 15, 2016).
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