About Sky
Sky Technologies LLC is an intellectual property licensing firm based in Boston. The company
holds a broad portfolio of United States Patents in the field of online negotiation.
The processes covered by Sky's patents are commonly used in supply chain management, supplier
relationship and customer relationship management software, as well as for product lifecycle
management, collaborative product design and contract management software applications. Sky's
patents are licensed by leading companies in the enterprise software industry.
News & Press
May 25, 2011
USPTO Terminates Rexamination of Sky Patent
The United States Patent and Trademark Office today issued it's decision terminating the Inter Partes Reexamination of Sky's
patent 7,162,458 "System and Method for Process Mining". The PTO ruled that Petitioner SAP had failed to sustain its burden of proving
invalidity in its willful infringement lawsuit with Sky, and that the Reexamination proceeding terminated pursuant to the estoppel
provisions of 35 U.S.C. 317(b).
May 5, 2011
Sky Technologies Files Patent Infringement Cases against Six Companies
Sky Technologies LLC today filed major patent litigation in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts,
alleging willful patent infringment by six international software companies. Named in the suit are Microsoft Corp.; JDA Software
Group, Inc.; Siemens AG, Siemens Corporation, Siemens USA Holdings, Inc. and Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software,
Inc.; Dassault Systemes, S.A., Dassault Systemes Corp., Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp., and Dassault Systemes Enovia Corp.;
Emptoris, Inc.; and Manhattan Associates, Inc.
"These cases are further illustration of the widespread use of Sky's inventions in online negotiation processes in the global
software industry" said Jeffrey M. Conklin, Sky's President.
The case has been assigned to Judge William G. Young and is scheduled for trial in November, 2012.
December 27, 2010
Sky Lawsuit against SAP Ends
Pursuant to a settlement and license agreement executed by the parties, Judge David Folsom of the
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas today formally entered a Final Decision and Order
dismissing Sky's long-standing patent infringement case against SAP AG and SAP America, Inc. The Judge's
Order also entered as a final decision that SAP did not sustain its burden of proving invalidity of
Claims 1 and 16 of U.S. Patent No. 7,162,458. The Court's Decision is final, enforceable and not appealable.
Read more »
September 9, 2010
Sky and SAP Settle Patent Infringement Case
Sky and SAP have entered into a patent license and settlement agreement, effective September 9, 2010. Terms and
financial arrangements of the settlement are confidential.
August 3, 2010
Sky Wins Discovery Dispute with SAP
Judge David Folsom of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas today issued two orders compelling
SAP to both supplement its discovery relating to products Sky has accused of infringement, and to provide license data
relating to damages calculations in the lawsuit pending between the two companies.
Read more »
May 18, 2010
Court Denies SAP Motion to Transfer Sky Case
Judge David Folsom of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas today denied SAP's attempts to transfer
Sky's pending patent infringement lawsuit to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Read more »
April 5, 2010
U.S. Supreme Court Denies SAP Appeal
The United States Supreme Court today denied SAP's appeal of the ruling against it by the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Federal Circuit, confirming that Sky is the legal owner of the patents at issue in the major patent litigation pending
against SAP AG and SAP America, Inc. "This is the end of the line for SAP in its lengthy effort challenging my ownership of
these patents, all in an attempt to avoid the consequences of willfully infringing Sky's patents." said Jeffrey M. Conklin,
Sky's President. "Not only did the U.S. District Court agree that Sky owns the patents asserted in the litigation - the
patents on which I am the principal inventor and which represent my life's work - but the U.S. Court of Appeals also agreed
that Sky owns these patents, and it refused to consider any further appeal of that ruling by SAP. Today's denial of certiorari
by the highest court in the land puts an end to these ownership challenges, and clears the path to trial on the merits, which
Sky looks forward to winning."
Read more »
March 30, 2010
USPTO Issues Reexamination Certificate for Sky's 6,141,653 Patent
Read more »
February 17, 2010
Sky Patent Infringement Case against SAP Set for Trial
Judge David Folsom of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas today scheduled Sky's patent infringement
trial against SAP for October 5, 2010. "This date represents almost a two year delay from the original trial date set for this
case." said Jeffrey M. Conklin, Sky's President. "SAP mounted aggressive challenges to both Sky's ownership of the patents being
asserted in the litigation, and to the jurisdiction of the Texas court. Sky looks forward to at long last having its day in court
and an opportunity to prove its infringement case to the jury."
January 11, 2010
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Upholds Validity of Sky System Patent
Sky today received notice from the USPTO of its intent to issue an Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate, upholding the validity
of U.S. Patent 6,141,653 patent, Sky's main system patent. System and Method for Iterative Multivariate Negotiations
over a Network was put into reexamination by SAP AG and SAP America, Inc., which argued that numerous prior art anticipated the
inventions claimed in Sky's patent. In its decision, the Patent and Trademark Office found that none of the prior art cited by SAP
anticipated any of the challenged '653 claims, all of which have survived the reexamination intact and with no amendment or
modification. "This is a major victory for Sky", said Jeffrey M. Conklin, the company's President and an inventor of the '653 patent.
"Anytime an individual inventor is challenged in reexamination by a company as large as SAP, with virtually unlimited resources at
its disposal, the task of defending validity can seem daunting. As has been shown consistently in Sky's prior enforcement proceedings
and settlements in the software industry, the inventions claimed in the '653 patent are both fundamental to the automation of
negotiation processes, and highly original. It is indeed gratifying that the USPTO, having heard all the arguments that money can
buy against the inventiveness of the system described in the patent, decided clearly and firmly that these inventions are novel,
unique and patentable just as they were claimed back in 1998. I suspect this final decision of the PTO, which cannot be appealed,
will cause SAP to think twice about continuing to decline to license Sky's patents, which we have alledged in our pending lawsuit
have been widely infringed by numerous SAP software products."
December 14, 2009
Court Denies SAP Motion to Stay Litigation
Judge David Folsom of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas today denied SAP's attempt to delay Sky's patent
infringement lawsuit pending the outcome of Reexamination proceedings SAP filed at the USPTO, challenging the validity of Sky's
patents. On December 11, Judge Folsom lifted the stay of the litigation he had previously imposed pending SAP's appeal to the
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. SAP lost its appeal in a ruling issued in August.
August 20, 2009
Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Sky
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington D.C. today ruled unanimously that Sky is the legal owner of the
patents asserted in Sky v SAP AG and SAP America, Inc., agreeing with Judge David Folsom's earlier ruling from the Eastern District
of Texas. The ruling has been widely reported as significant in the law affecting ownership of intellectual property, and clears
the way for Sky to proceed with its patent infringement suit against SAP.
Read more »
August 17, 2009
Sky President to Advise NTIA Stimulus Program
Sky's President Jeff Conklin has been asked to serve as an expert advisor to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program,
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as it reviews applications from around the country to increase access
to broadband networks and information technology. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $4.7 billion to NTIA to support
the deployment of broadband infrastructure, enhance and expand public computer centers, encourage sustainable adoption of broadband
service, and develop and maintain a nationwide public map of broadband service capability and availability. "It's a privilege to be
asked to help award these funds to the most deserving of the thousands of community organizations seeking to help bridge the digital
divide, improve access to education and healthcare services, and boost economic development for communities held back by limited or
no access to broadband - communities that would otherwise be left behind. I believe strongly in public service and am grateful for this
opportunity to serve in an area where my experience may benefit those in need."
Read more »
February 20, 2008
Oracle Settles Sky Patent Infringement Case, Licenses Sky Patents
Oracle and Sky Technologies LLC today settled the patent infringement lawsuit filed by Sky in the Eastern District of Texas. Terms
and financial provisions are confidential.
October 31, 2007
Sky Technologies' Patent Litigation Case Against Ariba Set for Trial
Ariba loses effort to dismiss
Read Article »
April 23, 2007
Sky Infringement Cases Set for Trial
Sky's patent infringement cases against three leading software companies
Read Article »
February 1, 2007
Sky Receives Notice of Allowance for Additional Patent
Sky has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark
Read Article »
April 6, 2006
IBM and Sky Technologies Settle Patent Infringement Lawsuit
IBM Agrees to License Sky's Online Negotiation Patents and Technology
Read Article »
April 5, 2006
A Big Blue Point for the Little Guy
When inventor Jeff Conklin took on IBM in a patent dispute, the tech behemoth played hardball, then blinked
Read Article »
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