ZKey Sues Facebook in California

HOUSTON – New York City-based ZKey Investments, LLC, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against Facebook Inc. over the popular networking website’s alleged infringement of a key patent held by ZKey.

In the lawsuit, ZKey says Menlo Park, Calif.-based Facebook has willfully and deliberately infringed ZKey’s U.S. Patent No. 6,820,204, which covers technology that allows for selective, real-time information sharing in a communications network such as the Internet. Facebook cites the patent, which formerly was owned by ZKey predecessor SDN Online Inc., in applications for some of Facebook’s own patents. The ZKey patent is used in technology that allows Facebook users to access and control their user profile information.

Representing ZKey are Demetrios Anaipakos and Amir Alavi, partners with Houston-based AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing. They are assisted by associates Foster Johnson and Michael McBride. AZA is working with co-counsel Michael Heim and other attorneys from Houston’s Heim, Payne & Chorush LLP.

“Since Facebook readily acknowledges this patent when seeking its own later patents, it is pretty clear that Facebook employees knew the ZKey patent existed and that they should have obtained a license instead of infringing,” says Mr. Anaipakos.

The lawsuit is ZKey Investments, LLC, vs. Facebook Inc., No. 2:16-cv-00782, in the U.S. District Court of Central District of California, Western Division.

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, intellectual property and business dispute cases. AZA is recognized in Chambers USA 2016 among the best in Texas commercial law; U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms; Texas Lawyer as the 2015 Litigation Department of the Year and Law360 as a Texas Powerhouse law firm. National corporate counsel named AZA both one of the country’s best in client service and one of the most feared.