Near Field Electronics LLC filed nine patent infringement complaints in the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division, on September 8, 2026. The defendants are retailers and consumer brands that take in-store tap payments.

Who was sued on September 8

The same-day Sherman dockets are Near Field Electronics LLC v. The Children's Place, Inc., No. 4:26-cv-01222; Euromarket Designs, Inc., No. 4:26-cv-01223; Dr. Martens Airwair USA LLC, No. 4:26-cv-01224; James Avery Craftsman, Inc., No. 4:26-cv-01226; Fitness International, LLC, No. 4:26-cv-01227; Laderach (USA) Inc., No. 4:26-cv-01228; Hat World, Inc., No. 4:26-cv-01229; Potbelly Sandwich Works, LLC, No. 4:26-cv-01230; and The Yankee Candle Company, Inc., No. 4:26-cv-01231. Trevor J. Beaty of Shea Beaty Poet PLLC signed the Yankee Candle complaint.

What patents are in the Yankee Candle complaint

The Yankee Candle complaint asserts U.S. Patents 6,691,201; 6,742,071; 6,959,350; 6,996,727; and 7,373,531. The titles cover USB and interface hardware and signal-detection methods. The complaint says each patent has expired: the '201 on January 31, 2022; the '071 on November 21, 2021; the '350 on August 12, 2023; the '727 on April 14, 2022; and the '531 on March 19, 2026. Near Field therefore seeks damages for past use, not ongoing royalties on living patents.

What products are accused

Yankee Candle is accused of using NFC front-end components, including without limitation the NXP PN512 NFC Front-End, when processing NFC payment transactions in the regular course of business. That is a store-systems theory aimed at tap-to-pay readers, not at the candles themselves.

What it means in plain terms

This looks like a coordinated retail campaign over aging USB and NFC interface patents. Because the asserted patents in the Yankee Candle complaint have expired, the fight is about how much past infringement damages a jury or settlement might support, and whether the accused NXP-style readers actually practiced the claims. Patent lists for the other September 8 complaints should be confirmed from each complaint before relying on them.

What to watch next

Watch for answers and early motions across the Sherman dockets, and for whether the other September 8 complaints assert the same five patents and the same NXP PN512 theory. Also watch the damages window carefully, because every patent named in the Yankee Candle complaint has already expired.