Malikie Innovations Ltd. v. Core Scientific, Inc. — Entry #122: REPLY to Response re 114 MOTION to Dismiss Pursuant to Fed
Case: Malikie Innovations Ltd. v. Core Scientific, Inc. txed · 2:25-cv-00519
filed May 12, 2025
What this document is
Docket entry #122 · filed July 15, 2026
REPLY to Response re 114 MOTION to Dismiss Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) and 35 U.S.C. 101 filed by Core Scientific, Inc.. (Ferguson, Brian) (Entered: 07/15/2026)
Who is involved
- Core Scientific, Inc. [tracked: Core Scientific]
- CoreWeave, Inc. [tracked: CoreWeave]
- Key Patent Innovations Ltd.
- Malikie Innovations Ltd.
Why we have it
We follow this case because a company we track is a party: Core Scientific (listed as “Core Scientific, Inc.”); CoreWeave (listed as “CoreWeave, Inc.”). We checked the full party list on September 02, 2026 and confirmed the match.
A free copy from the RECAP archive of federal court filings (mirrored at the Internet Archive), retrieved September 02, 2026. Federal court filings are public records.
Document text
16 page(s), 33,373 characters, converted from the PDF's text layer · plain text.
Full text
Case 2:25-cv-00519-JRG-RSP Document 122 Filed 07/15/26 Page 1 of 16 PageID #:
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
MARSHALL DIVISION
Malikie Innovations Ltd. and §
Key Patent Innovations Ltd., §
§
Plaintiffs, §
§ Case No. 2:25-CV-519-JRG-RSP
v. §
§ JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
Core Scientific, Inc. and §
CoreWeave, Inc. §
§
Defendants. §
§
Core Scientific, Inc., §
§
Defendant and Third-Party §
Plaintiff, §
§
v. §
§
CoreWeave, Inc. §
§
Third-Party Defendant. §
REPLY IN SUPPORT OF CORE SCIENTIFIC, INC.’S MOTION TO DISMISS
PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 12(b)(6) AND 35 U.S.C. § 101
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. The 960 and 062 Patent Claims Fail Both Alice Steps Under Plaintiffs’ Analysis ................ 2
II. The 827 and 370 Patent Claims Fail Both Alice Steps Under Plaintiffs’ Analysis ................ 5
III. The 286 Patent Claims Fail Both Alice Steps Under Plaintiffs’ Analysis .............................. 9
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TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Alice Corp. Pty. v. CLS Bank Int’l, 573 U.S. 208 (2014) ..................................................... 4, 8, 10
BSG Tech LLC v. Buyseasons, Inc., 899 F.3d 1281 (Fed. Cir. 2018) ............................................. 8
ChargePoint, Inc. v. SemaConnect, Inc., 920 F.3d 759 (Fed. Cir. 2019) ................................. 5, 10
Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175 (1981) ......................................................................................... 7
Digitech Image Techs., LLC v. Elecs. for Imaging, Inc., 758 F.3d 1344 (Fed. Cir. 2014) ......... 6, 7
Enfish, LLC v. Microsoft Corp., 822 F.3d 1327 (Fed. Cir. 2016)......................................... 4, 5, 10
In re Board of Trs. of Leland Stanford Junior Univ., 989 F.3d 1367 (Fed. Cir. 2021) ......... passim
In re Board of Trs. of Leland Stanford Junior Univ., 991 F.3d 1245 (Fed. Cir. 2021) .................. 9
Infernal Tech., LLC v. Sony Interactive Ent. LLC, No. 2:19-CV-00248-JRG, 2021 WL
5804262 (E.D. Tex. Dec. 7, 2021) .............................................................................................. 4
Intell. Ventures I LLC v. Cap. One Bank (USA), 792 F.3d 1363 (Fed. Cir. 2015) ..................... 5, 7
Interval Licensing LLC v. AOL, Inc., 896 F.3d 1335 (Fed. Cir. 2018) ........................................... 6
Optis Cellular Tech. LLC v. Apple Inc., 139 F.4th 1363 (Fed Cir. 2025) ...................................... 7
Parker v. Flook, 437 U.S. 584 (1978).................................................................................... passim
PersonalWeb Tech. LLC v. Google LLC, 8 F.4th 1310 (Fed. Cir. 2021) ............................... passim
RecogniCorp, LLC v. Nintendo Co., 855 F.3d 1322 (Fed. Cir. 2017) ........................................ 3, 7
SAP America, Inc. v. Investpic, LLC, 898 F.3d 1161 (Fed. Cir. 2018) ............................. 1, 3, 5, 10
Synopsys, Inc. v. Mentor Graphics Corp., 839 F.3d 1138 (Fed. Cir. 2016) ......................... 3, 7, 10
TQP Dev., LLC v. Intuit Inc., No. 2:12–CV–180–WCB, 2014 WL 651935 (E.D. Tex.
Feb. 19, 2014) ............................................................................................................................. 8
Trinity Info Media, LLC v. Covalent, Inc., 72 F.4th 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2023) ............................. 2, 10
Univ. of Fla. Research Found., Inc. v. GE Co., 916 F.3d 1363 (Fed. Cir. 2019) ........................... 6
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TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS
Malikie Innovations Ltd. and Key Patent Innovations Ltd. Plaintiffs
Core Scientific, Inc. Core Scientific
Core Scientific’s Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) Mot.
and 35 U.S.C. § 101 (Dkt. 114)
Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Core Scientific’s Motion to Dismiss (Dkt. 119) Opp.
U.S. Patent No. 7,372,960 960 patent
U.S. Patent No. 8,666,062 062 patent
U.S. Patent No. 8,788,827 827 patent
U.S. Patent No. 10,284,370 370 patent
U.S. Patent No. 8,532,286 286 patent
960, 062, 827, 370, and 286 patents Challenged Patents
EMPHASIS
All emphasis added unless otherwise specified
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Mathematical algorithms, no matter how novel or groundbreaking they may be, are not
ineligible for patent protection because they are part of the “basic tools of scientific and
technological work.” Parker v. Flook, 437 U.S. 584, 591-92 (1978). At bottom, whatever novelty
there may be in the claims of the Challenged Patents is found only in the algorithms. And a claim
that is “directed essentially to a method of calculating, using a mathematical formula, even if the
solution is for a specific purpose, … is nonstatutory.” Id. at 595.
Plaintiffs’ arguments to the contrary, asserted in both the FAC and again in the
Opposition, do not compel a different conclusion. Repeated references to the claims being
directed at “technological solutions” to “technological problems” are unavailing because those
alleged “technological solutions” are the algorithms themselves. That is not enough to avoid
invalidity under § 101. Parker, 437 U.S. at 595, n.18 (“Very simply, our holding today is that a
claim for an improved method of calculation, even when tied to a very specific end use, is
unpatentable subject matter under § 101.”); SAP America, Inc. v. Investpic, LLC, 898 F.3d 1161,
1163 (Fed. Cir. 2018) (“The claims here are ineligible because their innovation is an innovation
in ineligible subject matter.”).
Plaintiffs’ attempts to avoid dismissal by reference to alleged factual and claim
construction disputes also must fail. Even if the inventions described in the patents were
groundbreaking and resulted in more efficient calculating, that does not change what is specified
in the claims—improved mathematical algorithms. PersonalWeb Tech. LLC v. Google LLC, 8
F.4th 1310, 1319 (Fed. Cir. 2021) (rejecting argument that “improvements [described] in the
specification” prevented dismissal because the claims lacked an “inventive concept in the non-
abstract application realm”). As to claim construction, Plaintiffs have failed to show how
construction of the few terms they identify would impact the understanding of the claims. Trinity
1
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Info Media, LLC v. Covalent, Inc., 72 F.4th 1355, 1360-61 (Fed. Cir. 2023). Consequently, the
Court should grant Core Scientific’s Motion to Dismiss.
I. The 960 and 062 Patent Claims Fail Both Alice Steps Under Plaintiffs’ Analysis
ACS concedes that the only claims from these patents that it is asserting are claims 3 and
6 of the 960 patent and claims 1-4, 6, and 7 of the 062 patent. Opp. at 14, n.7. Thus, independent
claim of the 960 patent is indeed representative. Mot. at 14-16. 1 The only difference between
claim 3 and independent claim 1 of the 062 patent is th at the latter is written in terms of a
processor executing the instructions making up the algorithm. 2
Claim 3 of the 960 patent is unquestionably directed to an algorithm. The claimed steps
take an input (step a), perform mathematical operations on the input to obtain a first result (steps
b and c), perform further mathematical operations on that result to obtain a second result (step d),
and use the second result in a cryptographic operation (step e). 960 patent, claim 3. There is no
material difference between claim 3 and the claim invalidated in Parker, which similarly
performed mathematical operations on an input to obtain a result (an “updated alarm limit”) for
use in a particular field (a “process involving the catalytic chemical conversion of
hydrocarbons”). 437 U.S. at 596-97 (listing claim). Nor is there a material difference between
claim 3 and the claim invalidated in Stanford I. That claim also performed mathematical
operations on an input (“allele information regarding genotypes”) to obtain a result (“a haplotype
1
Core Scientific reserves the right to challenge any non-asserted claims as part of an
invalidity counterclaim if its motion to dismiss is not granted.
2
Plaintiffs’ dependent claims argument is not persuasive. Reviewing claims 6 of the 960
patent and claims 2-4, 6 and 7 of the 062 patent shows that they merely add further details
regarding the algorithm, such as the inputs to the algorithm (062, claims 2, 3), the makeup and
role of the finite field in the algorithm (960 claim 6, 062 claim 4), and the field of use (062,
claims 6, 7). These claims do not add “significantly more” to the abstract idea. In re Board of
Trs. of Leland Stanford Junior Univ., 989 F.3d 1367, 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2021) (“Stanford I”).
2
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phase for at least member of the family”), storing it in computer memory, and providing the
haplotype phase upon request. 989 F.3d at 1370.
Claim 3 and those in Parker and Stanford I are directed to “mathematical algorithms for
performing calculations,” which “without more, are patent ineligible.” Id. at 1372; see
RecogniCorp, LLC v. Nintendo Co., 855 F.3d 1322, 1327 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (“A process that
started with data, added an algorithm, and ended with a new form of data was directed to an
abstract idea.”). That holds true here. There is nothing “more” in claim 3. That the claim requires
that the result be “used” in a “cryptographic operation” is of no moment because specifying that
the result is “for a specific purpose” cannot save the claim if the claim is “directed essentially to
a method of calculating, using a mathematical formula.” Parker, 437 U.S. at 595.
Plaintiffs argue that the claim is a technological solution to a technical problem. Even
taken as true for argument’s sake, that does not save the claims because the “technological
solution” is the algorithm itself. It matters not whether the algorithm is novel or groundbreaking.
In Stanford I, Stanford asserted that the claimed invention was “novel” and enabled scientists to
“ascertain more haplotype information than was previously possible.” 989 F.3d at 1373. But
even “accepting the argument that the claimed process results in improved data, we are not
persuaded that claim 1 is not directed to an abstract mathematical calculation.” Id., citing
Synopsys, Inc. v. Mentor Graphics Corp., 839 F.3d 1138, 1151 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (“[A] claim for a
new abstract idea is still an abstract idea”); SAP, 898 F.3d at 1170 (“[P]atent law does not protect
such claims, without more, no matter how groundbreaking the advance.”). Here, claim 3 covers
at most a “new abstract idea.”
Nor does claim 3 improve the functioning of computers, as Plaintiffs allege. There is
nothing in the claims or the patents that improves computer functioning per se. The 960 patent
3
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confirms that it uses generic processors and memory. 960 patent, 6:46-48. Instead, the alleged
improvement is the “specialized reduction algorithms.” Id. at 7:43-45. But even if an algorithm
results in a faster or more efficient way to obtain the claimed reduced result of a finite field,
faster or better algorithms are still abstract ideas. At most, the claims merely “enhance[] an
ineligible concept;” they are not “improvement[s] on a technological process.” Stanford I, 989
F.3d at 1373; PersonalWeb, 8 F.4th at 1316 (“The claims do this in a computer environment, but
that doesn’t transfigure an idea out of the realm of abstraction”). 3 As in PersonalWeb, whether
the algorithm results in a more efficient process on a computer does not “render an abstract idea
less abstract.” Id. at 1319. The focus of the claims here is “not on … an improvement in
computers as tools, but on certain independently abstract ideas that use computers as tools,” and
that “fails [Alice 4] step one.” Id.
The claims here, contrary to Plaintiffs’ arguments, are not like those in Enfish, LLC v.
Microsoft Corp., 822 F.3d 1327 (Fed. Cir. 2016), and Infernal Tech., LLC v. Sony Interactive
Ent. LLC, No. 2:19-CV-00248-JRG, 2021 WL 5804262 (E.D. Tex. Dec. 7, 2021). In Enfish, the
claims required “a data storage and retrieval system for a computer memory” with “a self-
referential table for a computer database.” 822 F.3d at 1336–37. Therefore, the claimed table “is
a specific type of data structure designed to improve the way a computer stores and retrieves
data in memory.” Id. at 1339. Similarly, in Infernal Tech., the claimed process “actually
3
Plaintiffs’ claim construction argument also fails. Plaintiffs assert that the terms “machine
words” and “wordsized operation” show that the claims are intended to be performed on a
computer. Opp. at 9-11. Even if true, an algorithm performed on a generic computer is still
patent ineligible. Stanford I, 989 F.3d at 1374 (“[C]laim 1 neither requires, nor results in, a
specialized computer with a specialized memory or processor.”). That applies here.
4
Alice Corp. Pty. v. CLS Bank Int’l, 573 U.S. 208 (2014).
4
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improves graphics rendering in computers” and thus is “an improvement to the functionality of
computers in rendering realistic graphics.” 2021 WL 5804262, at *4. Thus, the claimed
technology in Enfish and Infernal Tech. are “improvement[s] to computer functionality itself,”
Enfish, 822 F.3d at 1336. Claim 3, in contrast, is an alleged improved algorithm for finite field
calculations; it does not improve a computer’s ability to perform any other tasks. “[O]ur
precedent is clear that merely adding computer functionality to increase the speed or efficiency
of the process does not confer patent eligibility on an otherwise abstract idea.” Intell. Ventures I
LLC v. Cap. One Bank (USA), 792 F.3d 1363, 1370 (Fed. Cir. 2015).
Turning to Alice step two, the Federal Circuit’s analysis in PersonalWeb is apt here:
“[w]hat else is there in the claims before us? … As to the subject-matter question, not much.” 8
F.4th at 1319. There is “nothing ‘inventive’ about any claim details, individually or in
combination, that are not themselves abstract ideas.” Id. Again, whether the claimed algorithm
is novel is not relevant because the claimed “innovation is an innovation in ineligible subject
matter.” SAP, 898 F.3d at 1163. And “[t]hat fails step two.” PersonalWeb, 8 F.4th at 1319. 5
Accordingly, the asserted claims of the 960 and 062 patents fail both steps of the Alice
inquiry because they recite abstract, mathematical operations that are patent-ineligible.
II. The 827 and 370 Patent Claims Fail Both Alice Steps Under Plaintiffs’ Analysis
Plaintiffs’ arguments for the 827 and 370 patents also fail, as, at most, the claims are
5
Whether in step one or two, Plaintiffs’ arguments regarding the specification cannot save
the claims. The specification “cannot be used to import details from the specification if those
details are not claimed.” ChargePoint, Inc. v. SemaConnect, Inc., 920 F.3d 759, 769 (Fed. Cir.
2019). The alleged improvements of eliminating the need for “duplicating the bulk of the engine
instructions (program)” and “finite field elements [that can] be consistently stored in registers of
the same word length,” Opp. at 5–6, are not claimed. Alleging improvements that are stated in
the specification and not claimed cannot defeat a motion to dismiss. PersonalWeb, 8 F.4th at
1319 (rejecting the same argument Plaintiffs make here).
5
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directed to an improved digital signature verification algorithm and nothing “more.” 6 Claim 1 of
the 827 patent recites 3 steps: (1) “receiving” a signature without a public key from a message;
(2) “obtaining” an elliptic curve point from the signature; and (3) “generating” a public key of
the signer from the elliptic curve point and a hash value of the message. These types of process
steps have repeatedly been found abstract. Univ. of Fla. Research Found., Inc. v. GE Co., 916
F.3d 1363, 1367 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (collecting cases finding steps such as collecting, analyzing,
manipulating, and displaying data abstract).
As Plaintiffs acknowledge, the alleged improvement instead lies in recovering the public
key Q from the signature itself using the formula 𝑄𝑄 = 𝑟𝑟 −1 (𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 − 𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒). Opp. at 18-19. Once again,
the mathematical formula—the algorithm—is the focus of the claim. That is not enough.
Digitech Image Techs., LLC v. Elecs. for Imaging, Inc., 758 F.3d 1344, 1351 (Fed. Cir. 2014)
(“[A] process that employs mathematical algorithms to manipulate existing information to
generate additional information is not patent eligible”); Parker, 437 U.S. at 595.
Plaintiffs again argue about the claim being a technological solution to a technological
problem. Opp. at 17–19. But like the analysis for the 960 and 062 patents, even accepting that as
true for purposes of this motion, the alleged improvement here is to the pre-existing Elliptic
Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) itself: recovering the public key for faster
verification. 827 patent, 4:16-27 (stating that “improvement of ECDSA verification time is
important”); 5:63-65 (“The present invention is exemplified by reference to verification of digital
6
Here too, Plaintiffs concede that only claims 1-5 of each patent are asserted. Opp. at 18,
n.11, 24, n. 16. Claim 1 of the 827 patent is thus representative of the claims. Claim 1 of the 370
patent contains the same algorithmic steps and merely adds generic “processor,” “computing
device,” and “network” hardware, which the Federal Circuit has repeatedly found cannot render
a claim non-abstract. Interval Licensing LLC v. AOL, Inc., 896 F.3d 1335, 1345 (Fed. Cir. 2018).
Dependent claims 2-5 in each patent are identical and only add additional details concerning the
algorithm itself or its field of use. Mot. at 21-22.
6
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signatures, in particular those signatures generated using ECDSA”). And a “claim for a new
abstract idea is still an abstract idea.” Synopsys, 839 F.3d at 1151. Unlike in Enfish, the claims
here do not improve the functionality of the computer itself. Stanford I, 989 F.3d at 1374
(“[C]laim 1 neither requires, nor results in, a specialized computer with a specialized memory or
processor.”); Intell. Ventures, 792 F.3d at 1370 (holding that increasing the “speed or efficiency
of the process does not confer patent eligibility on an otherwise abstract idea”). 7
Plaintiffs’ argument that ECDSA is computer-centric technology does not change the
outcome. PersonalWeb, 8 F.4th at 1316 (“The claims do this in a computer environment, but that
doesn’t transfigure an idea out of the realm of abstraction”); Optis Cellular Tech. LLC v. Apple
Inc., 139 F.4th 1363, 1380 (Fed Cir. 2025) (“[T]he claims are directed to reciting an equation
that outputs a value to be used as the specific start position for decoding information in a cellular
network. This is an ineligible mathematical formula.”); Digitech, 758 F.3d at 1351 (holding that
“a process that employs mathematical algorithms to manipulate existing information to generate
additional information is not patent eligible.”). There is nothing “more” in the claims here other
than applying the allegedly improved algorithm to input data to obtain output data (a public key).
The claims are thus directed at a patent-ineligible mathematical algorithm. Parker, 437 U.S. at
595; see RecogniCorp, 855 F.3d at 1327 (finding that a process that, like here, “started with data,
added an algorithm, and ended with a new form of data” is an abstract idea).
Plaintiffs’ reliance on Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175 (1981) is off-base. Those claims
were directed to transforming “raw, uncured synthetic rubber, into a different state” and the
applicants sought “patent protection for a process of curing synthetic rubber.” Id. at 184–87.
7
The claimed invention uses only “general purpose computers connected to a network or
specialized devices such as cell phones, pagers, PDA’s, or the like.” 827 patent, 6:16-20.
7
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Thus, the claims were directed to an “industrial process.” Id. at 191–93. The claims here are not
remotely similar. Instead, “[t]he sole practical application of the algorithm [(i.e., the claimed
improved version of the ECDSA] was in connection with the programming of a general purpose
digital computer… which cannot be the subject of a patent.” Id. at 185–86.
TQP Dev., LLC v. Intuit Inc., No. 2:12–CV–180–WCB, 2014 WL 651935 (E.D. Tex.
Feb. 19, 2014) does not hold otherwise. The claims in TQP were patent eligible, not because the
claims are in the field of data encryption, but because they “involve[] a way of making computer
communication itself more effective by making that communication more secure.” 2014 WL
651935, at *7. The claimed improvement here is not to the computer itself but is an alleged
improvement to an algorithm (ECDSA) that merely invokes computers as a tool.
As for Alice step two, Plaintiffs merely reiterate the background and the claimed
advantage of the invention and conclude that the claim “covers a patent-eligible inventive
concept.” Opp. at 22-23. But reviewing claim 1 reveals that other than the allegedly improved
ECDSA for recovering the public key, there are no “additional features” to “transform the
claimed abstract idea into a patent-eligible application.” Alice, 573 U.S. at 221. Indeed, the
entirety of the claim is the algorithm, and as such it fails step two as a matter of law. “[T]he
relevant inquiry is not whether the claimed invention as a whole is unconventional or non-
routine,” but “whether the claim limitations other than the invention’s use of the ineligible
concept to which it was directed were well-understood, routine and conventional.” BSG Tech
LLC v. Buyseasons, Inc., 899 F.3d 1281, 1290 (Fed. Cir. 2018). Here, there are simply no claim
limitations beyond the algorithm’s application to the input data to produce the public key. 8
8
Plaintiffs make no arguments that claim construction is required and thus have waived
any such argument.
8
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Accordingly, the asserted claims of the 827 and 370 patents fail both steps of the Alice
inquiry because they recite abstract, mathematical operations not eligible for patent protection.
III. The 286 Patent Claims Fail Both Alice Steps Under Plaintiffs’ Analysis
Claim 1 of the 286 patent is not materially different from all the claims analyzed above: it
claims an improved way of performing a Montgomery-style reduction mathematical algorithm.
Claim 1 9 contains 3 steps: (1) obtaining an operand; (2) computing a modified operand using a
reduction value; and (3) outputting the modified operand. The computing step involves the
alleged improvement to the standard Montgomery reduction algorithm. This is another example
of a non-eligible improvement to an abstract idea, as admitted in the patent itself. 286 patent,
3:21-22 (the objective of the invention is “[t]o improve the reduction efficiency of a
Montgomery machine”). Such an improvement “does not qualify as an improvement to a
technological process” but rather is “an enhancement to the abstract mathematical calculation []
itself.” In re Board of Trs. of Leland Stanford Junior Univ., 991 F.3d 1245, 1251 (Fed. Cir.
2021). Even assuming the claimed improved algorithm “yields different or better results,” it is
still a mathematical algorithm and “does not render [the claim] patent eligible.” Id.
Plaintiffs cite the specification in arguing that the claim describes “how a computer
performs a new kind of Montgomery-style reduction,” which is an alleged technological
improvement. Opp. at 26–28. Plaintiffs assert that the improvement “can reduce the number of
computations and registers needed” and the improved method makes it convenient to perform
modified reduction in some known computer architectures. Id. Even accepting that is true, first,
an “improved mathematical analysis” (i.e., reduced number of computations) is not patentable
9
Plaintiffs concede that only claim 1 and dependent claims 5, 6, and 9 are asserted. Opp. at
30. Claim 1 is therefore plainly representative, as the dependent claims add only features directed
to the field of use (claims 5, 6) or the type of calculation used (claim 9). Mot. at 27-28.
9
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subject matter. SAP, 898 F.3d at 1168. Second, “[t]he § 101 inquiry must focus on the language
of the Asserted Claims themselves.” Synopsys, 839 F.3d at 1149, and details from the
specification cannot be imported into the claims. ChargePoint, 920 F.3d at 769. Here, claim 1
has none of the alleged technological improvements. Plaintiffs’ analogy to Enfish is again
unpersuasive because while the claims there “improve the way a computer stores and retrieves
data in memory,” 822 F.3d at 1339, the claims here, as Plaintiffs tacitly admit, only recite an
improved mathematical algorithm implemented on a generic computer. Opp. at 27-28; see
Trinity, 72 F.4th at 1362-63. Once again, a new and improved algorithm executed on a generic
computer is still non-eligible. Synopsys, 839 F.3d at 1151 (“[A] claim for a new abstract idea is
still an abstract idea”). Claim 1 covers at most a “new abstract idea,” and thus fails step one. 10
For step two, Plaintiffs again make conclusory statements that the claim recites an
inventive concept. But they fail to identify any “additional features” to “transform the claimed
abstract idea into a patent-eligible application.” Alice, 573 U.S. at 221. There is “not much” else
in the claim other than the abstract idea, which fails step two. PersonalWeb, 8 F.4th at 1319; see
Stanford I, 989 F.3d at 1373-74 (holding that “simply storing information and providing it upon
request” does not transform the abstract idea into eligible subject matter).
Accordingly, the asserted claims of the 286 patent fail both steps of the Alice inquiry
because they recite abstract, mathematical operations not eligible for patent protection.
10
Plaintiffs identify “least significant word” and “word” as terms that may require
construction, but fail to propose any constructions, and fail to explain how constructions would
change the analysis. Opp. at 27-28. The 286 patent concedes that the invention may be
“implemented as an apparatus in hardware or in software (computer readable instructions
embodied in/on a computer readable medium).” 286 patent, 4:2-5. At bottom, claim construction
will not matter because, even assuming the claim is directed at computer-based technology, “an
abstract idea does not become nonabstract by limiting the invention to a particular field of use or
technological environment.” Recentive Analytics, Inc. v. Fox Corp., 134 F.4th 1205, 1213 (Fed.
Cir. 2025).
10
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Dated: July 15, 2026 Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Brian E. Ferguson
Brian E. Ferguson
KING & SPALDING LLP
1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20006
Telephone: (202) 737-0500
Email: [email protected]
Rex A. Mann
Texas Bar No. 24075509
KING & SPALDING LLP
2601 Olive Street
Suite 2300
Dallas, TX 75201
Tel.: (214) 764-4600
Email: [email protected]
John Tyler Boyce
Texas Bar No. 24127214
KING & SPALDING LLP
1100 Louisiana, Suite 4100
Houston, TX 77002
Tel.: (713) 276-7324
Email: [email protected]
Attorneys for Core Scientific, Inc.
11
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing document has been served on
counsel of record, who are deemed to have consented to electronic service, on July 15, 2026, via
electronic filing using the Court’s CM/ECF system.
/s/ Brian E. Ferguson
Brian E. Ferguson
12
