paSafeShare LLC v. Microsoft, Co.
Infringement action filed 14 May 2020 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and closed 7 May 2026, with 3 patents asserted. Recorded basis of termination: judgment on the merits for defendant.
Case record
- Patents involved
- US10095848B2US9455961B2US9615116B2
- Case no.
- 6:20-cv-00397
- Verdict cause
- Infringement action
- Court
- W.D. Tex.
- Court level
- District Court
- Case region
- Texas
- Chief judge
- Alan D Albright
- Trial level
- First instance
- Filed – Closed
- 14 May 2020 – 7 May 2026
- Duration
- 2184 days
- Basis of termination
- Judgment on the merits for Defendant
- Products & marks
- Azure Key Vault · Microsoft Azure Active Directory · Microsoft Azure RMS-enlightened client programs and services · Microsoft Azure Rights Management (“Microsoft Azure RMS”) · Microsoft Office 365
Check this patent against your own product
Prior art, claim scope, infringement exposure and design-around routes. Every answer cites the records behind it.
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- 02Claim-level comparisonAgainst your own product
- 03Legal statusAcross 174 jurisdictions
System, method and apparatus for securely distributing content
System, method and apparatus for securely distributing content via an encrypted file wherein a Publisher Key (PK) associated with an authorized publisher enables presentation of the content by the authorized user via a Limited Capability Viewer (LCV), the LCV lacking the capability to forward, print, copy or otherwise disseminate the content to be presented unless available advanced permissions are granted to the authorized user.
- Legal status
- Active
- Granted
- 9 Oct 2018
- Earliest priority
- 18 Sep 2012
- Est. expiry
- 30 Sep 2031
- Validity challenges
- 1 on record90014741 · EPR · filed by KLARQUIST SPARKMAN LLP
- Licences recorded
- None recorded
- Inventors
- PHADKE, MADHAV S · PHADKE, KEDAR M
- Classification
- G06F21/16H04N21/4627H04N21/254H04L29/06
- Prosecution counsel
- Meagher Emanuel Laks Goldberg & Liao, LLP
- Examiner
- ZAND, KAMBIZ
System, method and apparatus for securely distributing content
System, method and apparatus for securely distributing content via an encrypted file wherein a Publisher Key (PK) associated with an authorized publisher enables presentation of the content by the authorized user via a Limited Capability Viewer (LCV), the LCV lacking the capability to forward, print, copy or otherwise disseminate the content to be presented. Various embodiments provided enhanced user authentication or authorization, VPN functions, collaboration techniques, automatic distribution of licenses, watermarking of documents, rules pertaining to content transfer between secure and insecure domains and combinations thereof.
- Legal status
- Active
- Granted
- 27 Sep 2016
- Earliest priority
- 18 Sep 2012
- Est. expiry
- 5 Dec 2031
- Validity challenges
- 1 on record90014740 · EPR · filed by KLARQUIST SPARKMAN LLP
- Licences recorded
- None recorded
- Inventors
- PHADKE, MADHAV S · PHADKE, KEDAR M
- Classification
- H04L29/06H04N21/4627H04N21/254
- Prosecution counsel
- Meagher Emanuel Laks Goldberg & Liao, LLP
- Examiner
- VOSTAL, O. C.
Also asserted in this case
1 moreThe docket lists 3 asserted patents. Full bibliographic detail, drawings and prosecution history for the remaining asserted patent are one query away in Eureka.
Parties of record
paSafeShare LLC
- Core tech
- G06F21/16H04N21/4627H04N21/254H04L29/06
- Counsel
- Austin Ciuffo · Chandran B. Iyer · Elizabeth Bernard · Hoda Rifai-Bashjawish · Jason S. Charkow · Kevin H. Sprenger · Raymond W. Mort III · Ronald M. Daignault · Scott R. Samay · Shailendra Maheshwari · Stephanie R. Mandir · Taylor G. Lepore · Zachary H. Ellis
- Firm
- Brown Rudnick LLP, Daignault Iyer LLP, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Pierson Ferdinand, LLP
Microsoft, Co.
- Core tech
- Not recorded
- Counsel
- Andrew Ohlert · Antoine M. McNamara · Barry Kenneth Shelton · Bradley Dalton Coburn · Christopher Marth · Jessica J. Delacenserie · Lauren May Eaton · Samantha Hunt · Sarah E. Fowler · Sarah E. Piepmeier
- Firm
- Perkins Coie LLP, Shelton Coburn LLP
Counsel of record
| Attorney | For | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Ciuffo | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Chandran B. Iyer | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Elizabeth Bernard | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Hoda Rifai-Bashjawish | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Jason S. Charkow | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Kevin H. Sprenger | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Raymond W. Mort III | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Ronald M. Daignault | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Scott R. Samay | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Shailendra Maheshwari | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Stephanie R. Mandir | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Taylor G. Lepore | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Zachary H. Ellis | paSafeShare LLC | Plaintiff |
| Andrew Ohlert | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Antoine M. McNamara | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Barry Kenneth Shelton | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Bradley Dalton Coburn | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Christopher Marth | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Jessica J. Delacenserie | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Lauren May Eaton | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Samantha Hunt | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Sarah E. Fowler | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
| Sarah E. Piepmeier | Microsoft, Co. | Defendant |
Basis of termination
From the record · verbatim“IT IS ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Microsoft’s Motion for Summary Judgment Based on Absence of Remedy [Dkt. 255] is GRANTED; paSafeShare’s claims against Microsoft are DISMISSED with prejudice; Microsoft’s counterclaims against paSafeShare are DISMISSED without prejudice; Final Judgment is ENTERED against Plaintiff paSafeShare; and the case is CLOSED from the docket of the Court. If warranted by applicable law, any motions seeking attorneys’ fees shall be due 28 days after the resolution of any appeal in this case, or, if no appeal is filed, 28 days after the deadline to file an appeal.”
Case 6:20-cv-00397 · W.D. Tex. · closed 7 May 2026
Related cases
Three questions this record usually leads to. Each one runs against the full litigation and patent corpus, and cites what it finds.
Frequently asked questions
What is case 6:20-cv-00397?
6:20-cv-00397 is a patent infringement action brought by paSafeShare LLC against Microsoft, Co., filed on 14 May 2020 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. The case closed on 7 May 2026.
Which patents were asserted in 6:20-cv-00397?
US10095848B2 (“System, method and apparatus for securely distributing content”), assigned to PASAFESHARE LLC, currently active; US9455961B2 (“System, method and apparatus for securely distributing content”), assigned to PASAFESHARE LLC, currently active; US9615116B2 (“System, method and apparatus for securely distributing content”), assigned to PASAFESHARE LLC. The record also lists Azure Key Vault, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Azure RMS-enlightened client programs and services, Microsoft Azure Rights Management (“Microsoft Azure RMS”) and Microsoft Office 365.
How was case 6:20-cv-00397 terminated?
The recorded basis of termination is judgment on the merits for defendant. The termination text reads: “IT IS ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Microsoft’s Motion for Summary Judgment Based on Absence of Remedy [Dkt. 255] is GRANTED; paSafeShare’s claims against Microsoft are DISMISSED with prejudice; Microsoft’s counterclaims against paSafeShare are DISMISSED without prejudice; Final Judgment is ENTERED against Plaintiff paSafeShare; and the case is CLOSED from the docket of the Court. If warranted by applicable law, any motions seeking attorneys’ fees shall be due 28 days after the resolution of any appeal in this case, or, if no appeal is filed, 28 days after the deadline to file an appeal.”
What does dismissal with prejudice mean?
A dismissal with prejudice permanently ends the claims that were filed, so the same claims cannot be brought again against that defendant. It is the usual form when the parties have settled.
How long did case 6:20-cv-00397 take?
2184 calendar days, from filing on 14 May 2020 to closure on 7 May 2026.
Who were the attorneys and the judge in 6:20-cv-00397?
Chief Judge Alan D Albright presided. Austin Ciuffo, Chandran B. Iyer, Elizabeth Bernard, Hoda Rifai-Bashjawish, Jason S. Charkow, Kevin H. Sprenger, Raymond W. Mort III, Ronald M. Daignault, Scott R. Samay, Shailendra Maheshwari, Stephanie R. Mandir, Taylor G. Lepore and Zachary H. Ellis are recorded as counsel for plaintiff paSafeShare. Andrew Ohlert, Antoine M. McNamara, Barry Kenneth Shelton, Bradley Dalton Coburn, Christopher Marth, Jessica J. Delacenserie, Lauren May Eaton, Samantha Hunt, Sarah E. Fowler and Sarah E. Piepmeier appear for defendant Microsoft.
Disclaimer. This page reproduces publicly available court docket data for case 6:20-cv-00397 and is provided for general information and reference only. It is not legal advice and must not be relied upon as such.
Docket data has limits. Records are drawn from a snapshot and may lag the live docket. Sealed filings, amended complaints, counterclaims and post-closure motions may not be reflected. Party names, attorney names and firm affiliations are reproduced as recorded and may contain omissions. Where a field is absent from the record, this page marks it as not recorded rather than inferring a value.
No characterisation of the parties or the outcome. This page reports what the record contains. Nothing here should be read as an assertion that any party infringed, that any patent is valid or invalid, that any settlement occurred, or that any party prevailed.
No FTO or validity opinion. Nothing on this page constitutes a freedom-to-operate, novelty, validity or infringement opinion. Any decision touching a live patent dispute should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent counsel.