DigitalDoors Inc v. United Community Bank Inc

I. Executive Summary and Procedural Information

• Parties & Counsel:
  • Plaintiff: DigitalDoors, Inc. (Florida)
  • Defendant: United Community Bank, Inc. (South Carolina)
  • Plaintiff’s Counsel: Garteiser Honea, PLLC
• Case Identification: 1:24-cv-05588, N.D. Ga., 12/05/2024
• Venue Allegations: Venue is alleged to be proper based on Defendant maintaining physical business locations, employing individuals, and conducting substantial business within the Northern District of Georgia.
• Core Dispute: Plaintiff alleges that Defendant’s data backup and disaster recovery systems, particularly those compliant with the Sheltered Harbor financial industry standard, infringe four patents related to secure, granular data filtering, extraction, and storage.
• Technical Context: The technology involves methods for securely managing sensitive digital information by extracting specific content, storing it in distributed locations, and enabling controlled reconstruction, a critical function for disaster recovery in the financial services sector.
• Key Procedural History: The complaint does not cite any prior litigation or post-grant proceedings involving the asserted patents. It does allege that the patents are "pioneering" and have been cited as relevant prior art in hundreds of subsequent patent applications assigned to major technology and financial services companies.

Case Timeline

II. Technology and Patent(s)-in-Suit Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 9,015,301 - "Information Infrastructure Management Tools With Extractor, Secure Storage, Analysis And Classification And Method Therefor"

The Invention Explained

• Problem Addressed: The patent's background describes the challenges of securing information within "open ecosystem" enterprise environments, where employees, partners, and customers share information. These systems face vulnerabilities due to numerous access points and the difficulty of managing the changing sensitivity of information over its lifecycle (’301 Patent, col. 1:60-2:61).
• The Patented Solution: The invention is a method for organizing and processing data in a distributed system. It uses a variety of filters (e.g., content-based, contextual, taxonomic) to identify and obtain "select content" from a data input. This extracted content is then stored in corresponding data stores, where specific data processes like copying, archiving, or extraction can be applied, enabling granular control and enhanced security (’301 Patent, Abstract; col. 3:24-4:24).
• Technical Importance: This content-centric approach to data management allowed for more sophisticated and granular security policies than traditional file-level access controls, which was a significant step for managing sensitive data in complex, distributed networks (Compl. ¶29).

Key Claims at a Glance

• The complaint asserts independent claim 25 (Compl. ¶98).
• The essential elements of Claim 25 include:
  • A method of organizing and processing data in a distributed computing system.
  • Providing a plurality of select content data stores operative with a plurality of designated categorical filters.
  • Activating at least one filter and processing a data input through it to obtain select content.
  • Storing the aggregated select content in a corresponding data store.
  • Associating a data process (e.g., copy, extract, archive) with the activated filter.
  • Applying the associated data process to a further data input based on the filter's processing result.
  • Activating the filter either automatically (e.g., time-based, event-based) or manually.
• The complaint does not explicitly reserve the right to assert dependent claims.

U.S. Patent No. 9,734,169 - "Digital Information Infrastructure and Method for Security Designated Data and with Granular Data Stores"

The Invention Explained

• Problem Addressed: The patent addresses the security risks inherent in enterprise systems where sensitive data is co-located with non-sensitive data, making it vulnerable to unauthorized access or widespread data loss in the event of a breach ('169 Patent, col. 1:59-2:25).
• The Patented Solution: The invention describes a method for a cloud-based computing system that segregates data for security. The system extracts "security designated data" and stores it in secure "select content data stores" with specific access controls. The non-extracted "remainder data" is parsed and stored separately in "granular data stores." This architecture allows for the secure withdrawal and reconstruction of the original data only when authorized ('169 Patent, Abstract; col. 4:1-17).
• Technical Importance: This method provides a framework for creating secure, isolated data vaults, a concept that has become central to modern cyber-resilience strategies for protecting critical data from catastrophic events like ransomware attacks (Compl. ¶52).

Key Claims at a Glance

• The complaint asserts independent claim 1 (Compl. ¶129).
• The essential elements of Claim 1 include:
  • A method of organizing and processing data in a distributed cloud-based computing system.
  • Providing (i) select content data stores, (ii) granular data stores, and (iii) a cloud-based server.
  • Providing a communications network coupling the data stores and server.
  • Extracting and storing security designated data in the select content data stores.
  • Activating a select content data store to permit access based on one or more access controls.
  • Parsing remainder data not extracted and storing it in the granular data stores.
  • Parsing and storing the remainder data both randomly and according to a predetermined algorithm.
  • Withdrawing data from the stores only in the presence of applied access controls.
• The complaint does not explicitly reserve the right to assert dependent claims.

U.S. Patent No. 10,182,073 - "Information Infrastructure Management Tools with Variable and Configurable Filters and Segmental Data Stores"

• Technology Synopsis: This patent details an information infrastructure for processing data using a plurality of filters. A central feature is the ability to identify sensitive and select content with initially configured filters and to subsequently alter those filters—by expanding, contracting, or imposing hierarchical or orthogonal classifications—to dynamically manage data throughput and security policies (’073 Patent, Abstract; col. 3:19-38).
• Asserted Claims: Independent Claim 1 (Compl. ¶165).
• Accused Features: The accused systems are alleged to use configurable and modifiable "protection policies" to identify and extract critical financial data for vaulting, which the complaint maps to the claimed method of altering filters to manage data processing (Compl. ¶¶181-182).

U.S. Patent No. 10,250,639 - "Information Infrastructure Management Data Processing Tools for Processing Data Flow with Distribution Controls"

• Technology Synopsis: This patent describes a method for sanitizing data by extracting sensitive content based on a plurality of sensitivity levels and associated security clearances. The system stores extracted sensitive data separately from the remainder data and uses content, contextual, and taxonomic filters to "inference" the data, enabling more sophisticated content analysis and protection (’639 Patent, Abstract; col. 4:26-53).
• Asserted Claims: Independent Claim 16 (Compl. ¶192).
• Accused Features: The accused systems are alleged to implement multi-level security and priority filters to extract critical account data for storage in a secure vault. This process of filtering and segregation is alleged to create sanitized versions of the data and to constitute the claimed "inferencing" of content (Compl. ¶¶214, 217-218).

III. The Accused Instrumentality

Product Identification

The "Accused Instrumentalities" are identified as the data backup and disaster recovery systems and methods owned and operated by Defendant United Community Bank (UCB). The complaint alleges these systems are compliant with the financial services industry's "Sheltered Harbor" specification or its functional equivalent (Compl. ¶95). The Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery solution is identified as an exemplary endorsed and compliant system (Compl. ¶71).

Functionality and Market Context

The accused systems are alleged to perform critical data protection for a financial institution. Their core function is to create secure, segmented, and isolated backups of critical customer account data to ensure business continuity and data recovery after a catastrophic event like a cyberattack (Compl. ¶¶62, 69). The complaint provides a diagram from Dell illustrating this architecture, which includes a "Production Environment" and a separate, air-gapped "Data Vault Environment" where replicated data is processed and stored securely (Compl. p. 31). The Sheltered Harbor standard is presented as an industry-wide initiative to protect the stability of U.S. financial markets, with participation from institutions holding nearly three-quarters of U.S. deposit accounts (Compl. ¶¶62, 64).

IV. Analysis of Infringement Allegations

U.S. Patent No. 9,015,301 Infringement Allegations

| Claim Element (from Independent Claim 25) | Alleged Infringing Functionality | Complaint Citation | Patent Citation |
|:------------------------------------------------|:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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| providing... a plurality of select content data stores operative with a plurality of designated categorical filters... | The accused systems provide a "data vault" which houses content derived from "protection policies" (filters) that identify critical financial data to be protected. | ¶¶104-106 | col. 3:32-38 |
| activating at least one of said designated categorical filters and processing a data input therethrough to obtain said select content... | The system applies protection policies and rules, which may include criteria such as metadata tags or folder names, to extract critical account information from the production data stream. | ¶¶108-109 | col. 4:1-6 |
| storing said aggregated select content... in said corresponding select content data store... | Extracted critical financial data is stored in designated storage units within the secure data vault. The complaint references a diagram from a Dell Solution Brief showing multiple data stores within the Cyber Recovery Vault, including for Backup, Copy, Lock, and Analyze (Compl. p. 52). | ¶¶112-114 | col. 4:7-11 |
| associating at least one data process from the group of data processes including a copy process, a data extract process, a data archive process... | The system associates processes such as copying and archiving data to the vault in accordance with the established protection policies. | ¶¶115-116 | col. 4:12-18 |
| applying the associated data process to a further data input based upon a result of said further data being processed by said activated categorical filter... | Once a protection policy is established, it is automatically applied to subsequent data inputs, such as in nightly backup cycles, to ensure ongoing data protection. | ¶¶118-119 | col. 4:19-24 |
| activating a designated categorical filter, which encompasses an automatic activation... said automatic activation is time-based, distributed computer system condition-based, or event-based. | The protection policies are activated automatically on a scheduled basis (e.g., nightly backups), or upon the detection of new or modified data assets. | ¶¶121-123 | col. 14:3-8 |

• Identified Points of Contention:
  • Scope Questions: A central question may be whether the "protection policies" of the accused systems, which are alleged to operate on metadata like asset tags and folder names, fall within the scope of "categorical filters" as described in the patent, which emphasizes content-based, contextual, and taxonomic analysis.
  • Technical Questions: The complaint alleges that the accused systems perform the claimed steps by complying with the Sheltered Harbor standard. A factual dispute may arise over whether UCB's specific implementation of that standard technically meets every limitation of the claim, such as the precise method of "associating" a data process with a filter.

U.S. Patent No. 9,734,169 Infringement Allegations

| Claim Element (from Independent Claim 1) | Alleged Infringing Functionality | Complaint Citation | Patent Citation |
|:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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| providing in said distributed cloud-based computing system: (i) a plurality of select content data stores... (ii) a plurality of granular data stores; and (iii) a cloud-based server... | The accused systems allegedly comprise a secure "data vault" (select content stores) and production/backup systems (granular data stores), and are designed for deployment in cloud environments like AWS or Azure. A diagram in the complaint illustrates the distinct "Production" and "CR Vault" environments (Compl. p. 35). | ¶¶132, 136-139 | col. 3:34-45 |
| extracting and storing said security designated data in respective select content data stores; | The system extracts critical financial account data from the production environment and stores it in the isolated, air-gapped data vault. | ¶143 | col. 4:1-5 |
| parsing remainder data not extracted from data processed by said cloud-based system and storing the parsed data in respective granular data stores. | Data not extracted for the vault is identified as the "remainder data," which is alleged to be stored in the production and primary backup systems (the "granular data stores"). | ¶151 | col. 4:9-11 |
| withdrawing some or all of said security designated data and said parsed data from said respective data stores only in the presence of said respective access controls applied thereto. | The process for restoring data from the secure vault to a "restoration platform" is governed by strict access controls, including multi-factor authentication, to ensure only authorized recovery. | ¶¶157-158 | col. 4:15-17 |

• Identified Points of Contention:
  • Scope Questions: The interpretation of "parsing remainder data" will be critical. The complaint appears to equate leaving non-extracted data in its original location with the affirmative step of "parsing" and "storing" it. A court may need to decide if "parsing" requires a distinct technical action or if it is inherently satisfied by the act of extraction.
  • Technical Questions: The claim requires a "cloud-based computing system." While the complaint alleges the endorsed Dell solution is designed for cloud deployment, the nature of UCB's actual implementation (on-premises, cloud, or hybrid) will be a key factual question for determining infringement.

V. Key Claim Terms for Construction

• The Term: "categorical filters" ('301 Patent, Claim 25)

• Context and Importance: This term is foundational to the infringement theory for the ’301 Patent. Plaintiff's case may depend on this term being construed broadly enough to encompass the "protection policies" used in the accused systems, which are alleged to be based on metadata such as tags and virtual machine folder names (Compl. ¶¶87-88). Practitioners may focus on this term because its definition will determine whether the patent's more content-focused disclosure can read on the accused system's alleged metadata-based architecture.

• Intrinsic Evidence for Interpretation:

  • Evidence for a Broader Interpretation: The patent summary states the system includes "content-based filters, contextual filters and taxonomic classification filters" (’301 Patent, col. 3:35-37). The use of the word "including" could be argued to mean the list is exemplary, not exhaustive.
  • Evidence for a Narrower Interpretation: The detailed description repeatedly explains these filters in terms of analyzing the content of the data (e.g., using a "Knowledge Expander" for taxonomic analysis) rather than its location or metadata (’301 Patent, col. 10:22-32).

• The Term: "parsing remainder data" ('169 Patent, Claim 1)

• Context and Importance: The infringement allegation for the ’169 Patent relies on the data left behind in the production environment being considered "parsed remainder data." If "parsing" is construed to require an active processing step beyond mere non-extraction, it could present a challenge to Plaintiff's infringement theory.

• Intrinsic Evidence for Interpretation:

  • Evidence for a Broader Interpretation: The patent does not provide a specific definition of "parsing," which could allow for an argument that the act of extracting select content logically "parses" the original data stream into two parts: the extract and the remainder.
  • Evidence for a Narrower Interpretation: The claim recites "parsing remainder data... and storing the parsed data," which suggests a sequence of actions performed on the remainder data itself. The ordinary technical meaning of "parsing" involves analyzing a string of symbols or data into its constituent parts, which may suggest a more active process than simply leaving data untouched.

VI. Other Allegations

• Indirect Infringement: The complaint does not provide sufficient detail for analysis of indirect infringement.
• Willful Infringement: The complaint alleges willful infringement in a dedicated count (Compl. ¶¶225-227). The basis for willfulness includes alleged actual notice upon service of the complaint, as well as alleged pre-suit notice based on "awareness of the patent infringement lawsuits filed by DigitalDoors against competitor financial institutions" (Compl. ¶226). The complaint further alleges willful blindness, asserting that Defendant has a "policy or practice of not reviewing the patents of others" (Compl. ¶227).

VII. Analyst’s Conclusion: Key Questions for the Case

• A core issue will be one of definitional scope: can the term "categorical filters," which is described in the ’301 Patent with reference to content, context, and taxonomy, be construed to cover the "protection policies" of the accused disaster recovery systems, which allegedly operate based on metadata like asset tags and storage location?
• A key evidentiary question will be one of technical implementation: the complaint builds its infringement case largely on public documents describing the Sheltered Harbor standard. The case may turn on what discovery reveals about United Community Bank's actual system architecture and whether its real-world operations map precisely to the specific steps recited in the patent claims.
• A central point of claim construction will be the phrase "parsing remainder data" from the ’169 Patent. The dispute will likely focus on whether this requires an active technical step of processing the non-extracted data, or if it is satisfied by simply leaving that data in the production environment after critical information has been extracted.