Cornell Research Foundation Sues Charter and Spectrum Entities in Marshall on Two Wi-Fi Multipacket Reception Patents.

Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. filed Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. v. Charter Communications, Inc., No. 2:26-cv-01009 (E.D. Tex., Marshall Division), on November 6, 2026, against Charter Communications, Inc., Charter Communications, LLC, Charter Communications Operating, LLC, Charter Communications Holding Company, LLC, Charter Communications Holdings, LLC, Spectrum Management Holding Company, LLC, Spectrum Mobile, LLC, Spectrum Mobile Equipment, LLC, and Spectrum Gulf Coast, LLC. The complaint describes the plaintiff as a New York not-for-profit corporation based in Ithaca, New York, and a wholly owned subsidiary of a university that manages intellectual property invented by university employees (paragraph 7). It alleges, on information and belief, that each defendant is a Delaware corporation or limited liability company (paragraphs 8 to 16), and it alleges that the defendants operate as a single enterprise and hold themselves out to the public as one company doing business under the Spectrum brand (paragraph 17). The docket shows the case assigned to Judge Rodney Gilstrap. Cornell Research Foundation demands a jury.

The two patents

The complaint asserts U.S. Patent 7,839,775, "Methods and Systems for Channel Sensing Multiple Access Communications with Multipacket Reception," issued November 23, 2010, and U.S. Patent 7,965,733, "Systems and Methods to Detect and Avoid Collisions in Channel Sense Multiple Access Communications with Multipacket Reception," issued June 21, 2011. Both issued from applications filed March 14, 2006, claiming priority to a provisional application filed March 15, 2005. The complaint says the '775 patent was reexamined on request 90/013,914 and a reexamination certificate issued June 28, 2017, and that Cornell Research Foundation owns both patents by assignment from the inventors, Douglas S. Chan and Toby Berger (paragraphs 28 to 34). The certificate, printed with the USPTO copy of the '775 patent, states that the patentability of claims 1, 26, 44, 51, and 56 is confirmed, that no amendments were made to the patent, and that the other claims were not reexamined.

The accused products

The complaint accuses Wi-Fi 5 and later gateways, routers, extenders, pods, hotspots, and access points that Charter supplies or that are used with Spectrum Internet and Wi-Fi service; Wi-Fi 6 and later smartphones, tablets, and streaming devices that Charter provides or that are used with Spectrum Mobile; and the Spectrum services that use or manage them (paragraph 4). It names, as examples, the Spectrum Wave 2 Routers and the Spectrum Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and 7 routers, extenders, and pods (paragraph 38).

The counts

Count I alleges, upon information and belief, direct infringement of at least claims 26 and 56 of the '775 patent, with Wi-Fi 5 and later access points accused under claim 56 and Wi-Fi 6 and later client devices under claim 26, plus induced and contributory infringement from service of the complaint and willful infringement after that knowledge (paragraphs 36 to 52). Count II alleges, upon information and belief, direct infringement of at least claims 1, 16, and 29 of the '733 patent by Wi-Fi 6 and later products, including that Charter itself performs the method claims when it tests and certifies client devices and operates them on Spectrum networks, along with induced, contributory, and willful infringement (paragraphs 53 to 69). Claim charts are attached as Exhibits 3, 4, and 5. For marking, the complaint says Cornell Research Foundation makes no product practicing either patent and granted no license under them until 2022 (paragraphs 51 and 68).

Earlier suits on the same patents

Cornell Research Foundation, with its parent university as co-plaintiff, asserted the same two patents in two earlier Eastern District of Texas suits filed January 21, 2025, Nos. 2:25-cv-00054 and 2:25-cv-00055, against Wi-Fi 5 and later downlink and Wi-Fi 6 and later uplink products. The docket in No. 2:25-cv-00054 lists the defendants from No. 2:25-cv-00055 as parties in a consolidated civil action. In that case the defendants moved on August 28, 2026, to dismiss the university as a plaintiff under Rule 12(b)(1) for lack of Article III standing, and on October 21, 2026, the plaintiffs filed an opposed motion to dismiss the university without prejudice under Rule 41(a)(2), to which the defendants filed a response on November 4, 2026. The Charter complaint names Cornell Research Foundation as the only plaintiff.

Relief requested

Cornell Research Foundation asks for a judgment of infringement, damages under 35 U.S.C. § 284 of no less than a reasonable royalty, a finding of willfulness with enhanced damages, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, an exceptional-case finding with costs and attorneys' fees under 35 U.S.C. § 285, an accounting for damages not presented at trial, and other relief.