JC Penney targeted in patent claim over mobile apps

US department store JC Penney and insurance company State Farm have been targeted in patent infringement lawsuits by Texas-based Plano Encryption Technologies.

In two claims, filed on Monday, October 3 at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, Plano claimed that JC Penney and State Farm have infringed two patents covering methods to secure communication between parties.

The patents concerned are US numbers 5,991,399 and 5,974,550.

In its suit against State Farm, Plano claimed that the insurer’s apps, such as “State Farm Pocket Agent iOS”, infringe the patents.

Plano claimed that JC Penney’s mobile apps, which allow customers to buy goods online, infringe the patents.

“Defendant’s infringement is wilful, deliberate and intentional as of at least the filing date of this complaint,” said the suits.

The suits added that “to the extent that third parties are deemed to directly infringe” both companies are “liable for inducement of those steps by creating and uploading the code, as well as advertising and promoting the creation, development, distribution and use” of their mobile apps.

The Texas-based company also filed claims against e-commerce marketplace Groupon and dating website Match.com yesterday, October 4.

And in September, Plano filed patent infringement suits against handmade goods e-marketplace Etsy, image publishing service Shutterfly and retailer Best Buy.

In the cases against JC Penney and State Farm, Plano is seeking a jury trial, triple damages, and costs and expenses.

A spokesperson for State Farm said: “State Farm denies the allegations made by the plaintiff. We rarely comment on pending litigation and have nothing additional to share.”