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Official Complaint for Patent Infringement in Civil Action No. 3:14-cv-02260: AuYeung. Filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, no judge yet assigned. See http://news.priorsmart.com/-laBc for more info.
Official Complaint for Patent Infringement in Civil Action No. 3:14-cv-02260: AuYeung. Filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, no judge yet assigned. See http://news.priorsmart.com/-laBc for more info.
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Official Complaint for Patent Infringement in Civil Action No. 3:14-cv-02260: AuYeung. Filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, no judge yet assigned. See http://news.priorsmart.com/-laBc for more info.
Copyright:
Public Domain
Formati disponibili
Scarica in formato PDF, TXT o leggi online su Scribd
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS DALLAS DIVISION
DAVID AUYEUNG,
Plaintiff,
v. Case No.:_____________________ ULTRAVISION HOLDINGS, L.L.C. D/B/A ULTRAVISION LED AND D/B/A ULTRAVISION INTERNATIONAL,
Defendant.
PLAINTIFF DAVID AUYEUNGS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST DEFENDANT ULTRAVISION HOLDINGS, L.L.C. D/B/A ULTRAVISION LED AND D/B/A ULTRAVISION INTERNATIONAL
TO THE HONORABLE COURT: COMES NOW, Plaintiff DAVID AUYEUNG (AUYEUNG) and files this Original Complaint against Defendant Ultravision Holdings, L.L.C. d/b/a Ultravision LED and d/b/a Ultravision International (the Complaint) and, in support of said Complaint, avers the following: I. PARTIES 1. Plaintiff AUYEUNG is an individual residing in Denton County, Texas. 2. Defendant ULTRAVISION HOLDINGS, L.L.C. D/B/A ULTRAVISION LED AND D/B/A ULTRAVISION INTERNATIONAL (ULTRAVISION) is a Texas limited liability company with a principle place of business at 4347 W. Northwest Hwy, Ste. 120-323, Dallas, Texas 75220 and may be served with process by and through its Registered Agent, National Registered Agents, Inc., located at 1999 Bryan St., Ste. 900, Dallas, Texas 75201.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 2 II. JURISDICTION & VENUE 3. This Court has jurisdiction over AUYEUNGs claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1331, 1338, 1367, and 2201 in that this case relates to the determination of ownership of certain patent applications. 4. Venue is proper in this district with respect to AUYEUNGs claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391 in that ULTRAVISIONs principle place of business is located in this district. III. FACTUAL BACKGROUND 5. On or about February 10 2011, AUYEUNG began providing consultancy services to ULTRAVISION as an independent contractor. 6. At about the same time, two agreements between AUYEUNG and ULTRAVISIONnamely, a Non-Disclosure and Non-Solicitation Agreement (the Non- Disclosure Agreement) and a Consulting Agreement (the Consultancy Agreement)were contemplated and considered. 7. Despite the Consultancy Agreement being considered, and despite the Non- Disclosure Agreement lacking, on its own and by its terms, any consideration for the obligations placed on AUYEUNG therein, only the Non-Disclosure Agreement was ever executed. A true and correct copy of the executed Non-Disclosure Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit A and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. A true and correct copy of the unsigned Consultancy Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit B and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 8. Although the Consultancy Agreement was never executed, AUYEUNG continued to provide his consulting services to ULTRAVISION until approximately February 11, 2012,
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 3 during which time AUYEUNG had begun independently developing various valuable intellectual work products in the course of providing his consulting services. 9. On or about February 11, 2012, AUYEUNG ceased providing consulting services to ULTRAVISION due to ULTRAVISIONs failure and/or refusal to pay outstanding and past due amounts for his services and expenses in the amount of $95,008.31. 10. On or about March 10, 2012, ULTRAVISION, by and through its president, William Bill Hall (W. Hall), met with AUYEUNG in an effort to settle the outstanding amounts ULTRAVISION owed to AUYEUNG for his consulting services. 11. Thereafter, on or about March 15, 2012, ULTRAVISION sent a letter to AUEYUNG (the Settlement Letter), memorializing the results of their meeting on March 10, 2012 and offering to settle and pay the outstanding balance of $95,008.32 by making an initial payment of $45,000.00 by April 15, 2012 to be followed by eight monthly payments of $6,251.04 in satisfaction of the remaining amount of $50,008.32, which offer AUYEUNG accepted by affixing his signature to the Settlement Letter where indicated and as instructed. A true and correct copy of the executed Settlement Letter is attached hereto as Exhibit C and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 12. Contemporaneously with but separate from the Settlement Letter, ULTRAVISION made an employment offer to AUYEUNG (the Employment Offer), which AUYEUNG accepted, outlining the basic terms of an employment relationship between AUYEUNG and ULTRAVISION; however, said Employment Offer specifically stipulated that it was an offer of employment only and did not constitute an employment contract or guarantee of employment but would need to be followed by a formal employment agreement if accepted. A true and correct
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 4 copy of the executed Employment Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit D and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 13. Despite AUYEUNGs acceptance of the Employment Offer, no formal employment agreement between AUYEUNG and ULTRAVISION was executed and no employment relationship was created; rather, AUYEUNG continued to provide his consulting services to ULTRAVISION as he had previously as an independent contractor and continued to develop various intellectual work products in the course thereof. 14. Further, despite its promises in the Settlement Letter to pay the outstanding balances due and owing to AUYEUNG, ULTRAVISION failed to pay the initial payment of $45,000.00 and the eight monthly payments of $6,251.04. 15. Additionally, ULTRAVISION continued to fail to pay AUYEUNG for his continuing provision of consulting services through the period beginning March 29, 2012 and ending September 5, 2012, increasing the amount due and owing to AUYEUNG to not less than $110,006.51. 16. During this period, on or about J uly 30, 2012, AUYEUNG filed three provisional patent applicationsnamely, Provisional Applications No. 61/677,340; 61/677,346; and 61/677,352for the intellectual work product he had independently developed during the course of his consulting to ULTRAVISION (the Provisional Patents). 17. In or about November and December 2012, AUYEUNG and ULTRAVISION negotiated an employment relationship between them that was to compensate AUYEUNG as an employee of ULTRAVISION for his work going forward and was to have provisions for paying off the amounts due and owing to AUYEUNG, agreed at that time to total $130,530.00. A true and correct copy of W. Halls e-mail to AUYEUNG on behalf of ULTRAVISION, confirming the
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 5 terms of the negotiated relationship and the amount due and owing to AUYEUNG, is attached hereto as Exhibit E and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 18. From December 2012 until March 31, 2014, AUYEUNG worked for ULTRAVISION under the terms of the employment relationship, and no additional amounts accrued to the amount due and owing to AUYEUNG for his prior consulting services; however, despite ULTRAVISIONs renewed agreement to pay the $130,530.00 due and owing to AUYEUNG, ULTRAVISION failed and/or refused to make any payments towards this amount during this time. 19. In point of fact, as recently as April 1, 2014, ULTRAVISION has acknowledged and made promises to pay the amount of $130,530.00 due and owing to AUYEUNG. On or about April 1, 2014, ULTRAVISION, by and through W. Hall, sent an e-mail to AUYEUNG, confirming that 50% of the outstanding balance would be wired to AUYEUNG on April 30, 2014 with the remaining 50% to be wired to AUYEUNG on J une 30, 2014. A true and correct copy of ULTRAVISIONs April 1, 2014 e-mail is attached hereto as Exhibit F and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 20. Despite its thrice-repeated promise to pay AUYEUNG the amounts due and owing for his consulting services during the years of 2011 and 2012, ULTRAVISION failed or refused to pay the promised 50% on April 30, 2014. Rather, on May 6, 2014, perhaps realizing and acknowledging its liability to AUYEUNG and the invalidity of the Non-Disclosure Agreement, ULTRAVISION, by and through W. Hall, sent an e-mail to AUYEUNG, informing him that its attorney had advised it to stop payment until AUYEUNG provided a mutual release and acknowledgement of the Non-Disclosure Agreement. A true and correct copy of
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 6 ULTRAVISIONs May 6, 2014 e-mail is attached hereto as Exhibit G and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 21. Throughout the course of the business relationship between AUYEUNG and ULTRAVISION, ULTRAVISION has never denied or disputed the amounts due and owing to AUYEUNG for his consulting services during the years of 2011 and 2012. Rather, ULTRAVISION has repeatedly acknowledged that such amounts are due and has made repeated promises to pay such amounts; nonetheless, despite such acknowledgements and promises, ULTRAVISION has at all relevant times failed and/or refused to pay the amounts due and owing to AUYEUNG. 22. Further, on or about March 15, 2013 and December 20, 2013, during the time of AUYEUNGs employment with ULTRAVISION but separate therefrom, AUYEUNG filed full utility patent applicationsnamely, Patent Applications No. 13/836,612; 13/836,517; and 14/137,380for his mental work products covered by his Provisional Patents (the Patent Applications). 23. At that time, AUYEUNG assigned the Patent Applications to ULTRAVISION by written assignments (the Patent Assignments); however, contrary to the recitations of consideration in the Patent Assignments, because ULTRAVISION has failed and/or refused to pay for his consulting services during the years of 2011 and 2012, during which he developed the mental work product underlying the Provisional Patents and the Patent Applications, AUYEUNG has never received any due consideration to support the Patent Assignments. A true and correct copy of the Patent Assignments is attached hereto as Exhibit H and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 7 24. Based upon the foregoing, ULTRAVISION has stolen AUYEUNGs consulting services and mental work products derived therefrom; has made false promises of payment and compensation therefor; and now proceeds to wrongfully withhold such payments in an attempt to have AUYEUNG affirm ULTRAVISIONs title to his intellectual works and absolve ULTRAVISION of liability for its wrongdoing towards him. 25. For these reasons, because of ULTRAVISIONs past and ongoing wrongful conduct towards him and because of the lack of consideration to support any agreements between them, AUYEUNG is entitled to and seeks to have this COURT invalidate the Non-Disclosure Agreement and the Patent Assignments so that he may put his intellectual work products to gainful use. 26. In the alternative, AUYEUNG respectfully requests that this Court enter judgment against ULTRAVISION requiring it to pay all amounts due and owing to him in addition to any statutory damages, interest, costs, and attorneys fees warranted by ULTRAVISIONs wrongdoing, as follows. 27. In support of this Complaint, AUYEUNG attaches hereto as Exhibit I and incorporates by reference as if fully set forth herein a true and correct systematic record of the amounts due and owing to AUYEUNG from ULTRAVISION in an amount of not less than $110,006.51. In further support of this Complaint, AUYEUNG attaches hereto as Exhibit J and incorporates by reference as if fully set forth herein the Affidavit of David Auyeung, swearing to the facts set forth in this Complaint as more particularly described therein. IV. CAUSES OF ACTION 28. Plaintiff hereby reincorporates paragraphs 1 through 27 above by reference as if set forth fully herein.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 8 29. This is a suit for declaratory relief as to intellectual properties and for related causes of action, as follows: i) Request for Declaratory Relief Invalidating Non-Disclosure Agreement; ii) Request for Declaratory Relief Invalidating Assignments of Patent Applications No. 13/836,612; 13/836,517; and 14/137,380; and, in the alternative, iii) Suit on Sworn Account; iv) Breach of Contract; and v) Quantum Meruit. i. REQUEST FOR DECLARATORY RELIEF INVALIDATING NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
30. Plaintiff hereby reincorporates paragraphs 1 through 27 above by reference as if set forth fully herein. 31. As set forth hereinabove, the Non-Disclosure Agreement, upon a plain language reading within the four corners of the document, does not identify any consideration for the unilateral obligations placed upon Plaintiff therein. 32. Rather, the Non-Disclosure Agreement merely sets forth various restrictions upon Plaintiffs use and handling of certain information provided by Defendant and upon Plaintiffs ability to solicit Defendants employees, contractors, and/or customers, without providing anything to Plaintiff in return as consideration for his acquiescence to such restrictions. 33. Nor did Plaintiff at any time receive any benefit from Defendant that might be construed to serve as sufficient consideration for the Non-Disclosure Agreement, nor has Defendant indicated that any such benefit was forth coming. 34. Rather, Defendant has only ever promised to pay Plaintiff the outstanding amounts for his consulting services without reference to any additional consideration for his agreeing to the Non-Disclosure Agreement.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 9 35. Accordingly, the Non-Disclosure Agreement is void for lack of consideration as a matter of law, and Plaintiff respectfully requests that this Court enter judgment declaring the Non- Disclosure Agreement to be null and void, pursuant to 28 USC 2201. ii. REQUEST FOR DECLARATORY RELIEF INVALIDATING ASSIGNMENTS OF PATENT APPLICATIONS NO. 13/836,612; 13/836,517
36. Plaintiff hereby reincorporates paragraphs 1 through 27 above by reference as if set forth fully herein. 37. As set forth hereinabove, Plaintiff has executed the Patent Assignments, assigning the Patent Applications based upon the Provisional Patents for Plaintiffs intellectual work product developed during the course of his consultancy services for Defendant in 2011 and 2012, for which services Plaintiff has received no payment. 38. Accordingly, Plaintiff has received no consideration or benefit from Defendant for the intellectual work product assigned to them by and in the Patent Assignments. 39. Although the Patent Assignments include recitals that satisfactory consideration has been received for the assignments, pursuant to the Restatement 2nd of Contracts 218, such recitals may be shown to be untrue, including by parol evidence. See Restatement 2nd of Contracts 218. 40. In evidence that such recitals are untrue, Plaintiff sets forth the Affidavit of David Auyeung, included herewith as Exhibit J ; a systematic account of the amounts due and owing for Plaintiffs consulting services to Defendant in 2012, included herewith as Exhibit I; and Defendants own e-mail correspondences, acknowledging the amounts due and owing to Plaintiff for his consulting services in 2012 and the non-payment thereof, included herewith as Exhibits G, F, and E.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 10 41. Accordingly because the recitals of consideration in the Patent Assignments are false and no sufficient consideration has been paid to Plaintiff for the assignment of his intellectual work product, the Patent Assignments are void as a matter of law for lack of consideration. 42. Plaintiff respectfully requests that this Court enter judgment declaring the Patent Assignments to be null and void and declaring Plaintiff to be the owner of the Patent Applications. iii. SUIT ON SWORN ACCOUNT 43. Plaintiff hereby reincorporates paragraphs 1 through 27 above by reference as if set forth fully herein. In the alternative to the above pled requests for declaratory relief, Plaintiff pleads as follows: 44. Plaintiff provided good and valuable services to Defendant. 45. For such services, Plaintiff charged prices that were just and true because such prices were usual, customary, and reasonable and there was no written contract for such services between Plaintiff and Defendant. 46. Plaintiff includes herewith, as Exhibit I, a true and correct systematic record of the amounts charged to Defendant for Plaintiffs services in the course of the transaction between Plaintiff and Defendant. 47. All lawful offsets, payments, and credits have been applied to the amounts charged to Defendant for Plaintiffs services, and such amounts remain outstanding and unpaid and are due and owing to Plaintiff. 48. Plaintiffs damages arising from Defendants failure and/or refusal to pay the amounts due and owing to Plaintiff are liquidated in that the amount of such damages can readily be determined from the allegations in this Complaint and the exhibits hereto.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 11 49. Plaintiff has filed this Complaint under oath as set forth in the Affidavit of David Auyeung attached hereto as Exhibit J . iv. BREACH OF CONTRACT
50. Plaintiff hereby reincorporates paragraphs 1 through 27 above by reference as if set forth fully herein. In the alternative to the above pled requests for declaratory relief, Plaintiff pleads as follows: 51. There is a valid and enforceable contract between Plaintiff and Defendant to wit, the Settlement Agreementfor which Plaintiff is a proper party to sue. 52. Plaintiff has tendered performance of and/or was excused from performing his contractual obligations under the Settlement Agreement by Defendants breach. 53. Defendant has breached the Settlement Agreement, causing Plaintiff injury thereby. 54. Accordingly, Plaintiff is entitled to recover from Defendant his actual damages; pre- and post-judgment interest on such actual damages; costs of court; and reasonably attorneys fees. v. QUANTUM MERUIT
55. Plaintiff hereby reincorporates paragraphs 1 through 27 above by reference as if set forth fully herein. In the alternative to the above pled requests for declaratory relief, Plaintiff pleads as follows: 56. Plaintiff provided good and valuable services to Defendantto wit, Plaintiffs consultancy services and mental work product. 57. Plaintiffs services were provided to and for Defendant. 58. Defendant accepted Plaintiffs services.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 12 59. Defendant had reasonable notice that Plaintiff expected compensation for his services provided to Defendant. 60. Accordingly, Plaintiff is entitled to recover from Defendant his actual damages; pre- and post-judgment interest on such actual damages; costs of court; and reasonable attorneys fees. V. APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER 61. Because the Patent Applications for Plaintiffs intellectual work products remain in Defendants control, Plaintiff faces a danger that, during the pendency of this suit seeking to invalidate the Patent Assignments, Defendant might transfer, assign, pledge, or otherwise hypothecate the Patent Applications, to Plaintiffs detriment. 62. Based upon Defendants failure to pay Plaintiff the amounts due and owing him for his consulting services and Defendants failure to provide Plaintiff any other valuable consideration for the Patent Assignments, Plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits of his case for declaratory relief invalidating the Patent Assignments for lack of consideration. 63. The injury faced by Plaintiff outweighs the injury that would be sustained by enjoining Defendant from hypothecating the Patent Applications. 64. Furthermore, the Courts granting of a temporary restraining order against Defendant, preventing Defendant from hypothecating the Patent Applications, would not adversely affect public policy or public interest. 65. Plaintiff respectfully requests that Defendant be restrained from hypothecating the Patent Applications until ownership of such Patent Applications has been resolved and determined by this Court. If necessary, Plaintiff is willing to post a bond in order for the Court to issue the restraining order against Defendant.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 13 VI. ATTORNEYS FEES 66. Because of Defendants conduct, Plaintiff has been required to retain the services of an attorney to protect his rights and interests. Based upon the foregoing, in the event that the Court grants Plaintiff the declaratory relief sought hereinabove, Plaintiff respectfully requests that this Court award him his costs of court and reasonable attorneys fees as part of such relief, pursuant to 28 USC 2202. Alternatively, in the event the Court denies Plaintiffs request for declaratory relief but grants the relief sought in the alternative for suit on sworn account, theft of services, breach of contract, and/or quantum meruit, Plaintiff is entitled to recover his costs of court and reasonable and necessary attorneys fees pursuant to Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 38.001 and 134.005(b). VII. PRAYER WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Plaintiff DAVID AUYEUNG prays that this Court enter judgment against Defendant ULTRAVISION HOLDINGS, L.L.C. D/B/A ULTRAVISION LED AND D/B/A ULTRAVISION INTERNATIONAL, declaring the assignments of Patent Applications No. 13/836,612; 13/836,517; and 14/137,380 invalid for lack of consideration and awarding Plaintiff his costs of court and reasonable attorneys fees. In the alternative, Plaintiff prays that this Court enter judgment against Defendant, awarding Plaintiff his actual damages for his suit on sworn account, for Defendants breach of contract, and/or for quantum meruit; awarding Plaintiff pre- and post-judgment interest on his actual damages; awarding Plaintiff his costs of court; and awarding Plaintiff his reasonable and necessary attorneys fees. Plaintiff prays for such further relief, at law or in equity, to which he may show himself entitled.
PLAINTIFFS ORIGINAL COMPLAINT PAGE 14 DATED: J une 20, 2014
Respectfully submitted, WILSON LEGALGROUP P.C.
By: /s/J ohn T. Wilson J ohn T. Wilson State Bar No. 24008284 john@wilsonlegalgroup.com Kandace D. Walter State Bar No. 24047068 kandace@wilsonlegalgroup.com Ryan S. Prugh State Bar No. 2408859 ryan@wilsonlegalgroup.com 16610 Dallas Parkway, Suite 1000 Dallas, Texas 75248