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Case 3:08-cv-01512-LAB-AJB

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Frank E. Scherkenbach (SBN 142549) FISH & RICHARDSON P.C. 225 Franklin Street Boston, MA 02110-2804 Telephone: (617) 542-5070 Facsimile: (617) 542-8906 John E. Gartman (SBN 152300) Juanita R. Brooks (SBN 75934) Kimberly I. Kennedy (SBN 253828) FISH & RICHARDSON P.C. 12390 El Camino Real San Diego, California 92130 Telephone: (858) 678-5070 Facsimile: (858) 678-5099 Michael E. Florey (pro hac vice application to be submitted) FISH & RICHARDSON P.C. 60 South Sixth Street 3300 RBC Plaza Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 335-5070 phone (612) 288-9696 facsimile Attorneys for Defendant NUVASIVE, INCORPORATED UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA MEDTRONIC SOFAMOR DANEK USA, INC.; WARSAW ORTHOPEDIC, INC.; MEDTRONIC PUERTO RICO OPERATIONS CO.; and MEDTRONIC SOFAMOR DANEK DEGGENDORF, GmbH, Plaintiffs, v. NUVASIVE, INC., Defendant. Case No. 08 CV 1512 LAB (AJB) DEFENDANT NUVASIVE, INC.'S UNOPPOSED EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME TO RESPOND TO PLAINTIFFS' COMPLAINT FOR PATENT INFRINGEMENT

Case No. 08 CV 1512 LAB (AJB)

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I.

INTRODUCTION Defendant Nuvasive, Inc. ("NuVasive") seeks a thirty day extension, until October 9,

2008, to answer or otherwise respond to Medtronic Sofamor Danek USA, Inc., Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc., Medtronic Puerto Rico Operations Co., and Medtronic Sofamor Danek Deggendorf, GmbH's (collectively, "Plaintiffs") complaint for patent infringement. NuVasive requires the extension in order to complete its pre-suit evaluation of the patents-in-suit and Plaintiffs' claim that certain NuVasive products infringe the asserted patents. Plaintiffs' counsel has informed NuVasive's counsel that Plaintiffs do not object to the extension. (Florey Decl. ¶ 6, filed concurrently with this Application.) II. THE LOCAL RULES PERMIT EXTENSIONS OF TIME TO ANSWER Local Rule 12.1 provides that a party may obtain an extension of time to answer or to move to dismiss a complaint by making a showing of good cause. CivLR 12.1. As NuVasive will establish below, good cause exists for granting NuVasive a thirty day extension to answer or otherwise respond to Plaintiffs' complaint. This request for an extension of time is made on an ex parte basis pursuant to Chambers' Rule 10. III. GOOD CASE SUPPORTS THE REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION On August 20, 2008, Plaintiffs served NuVasive with the present complaint for patent infringement. The complaint asserts twelve patents: (1) United States Patent No. 5,860,973 (the "'973 patent"), entitled "Translateral Spinal Implant"; (2) United States Patent No. 5,772,661 (the "'661 patent"), entitled "Methods and Instrumentation for the Surgical Correction of Human Thoracic and Lumbar Spinal Disease from the Antero-Lateral Aspect of the Spine"; (3) United States Patent No. 6,936,051 B2 (the "'051 patent"), entitled "Multilock Anterior Cervical Plating System"; (4) United States Patent No. 6,936,050 B2 (the "'050 patent"), entitled "Multilock Anterior Cervical Plating System"; (5) United States Patent No. 6,916,320 B2 (the "'320 patent"), entitled "Anterior Cervical Plate System"; (6) United States Patent No. 6,945,933 B2 (the "'933 patent"), entitled "Instruments and Methods for Minimally Invasive Tissue Retraction and Surgery"; (7) United States Patent No. 7,008,422 B2 (the "'422 patent"), entitled "Instruments and Methods for Stabilization of Bony Structures"; (8) United States Patent No. 6,530,929 B1 2 Case No. 08 CV 1512 LAB (AJB)

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(the "'929 patent"), entitled "Instruments for Stabilization of Bony Structures"; (9) United States Patent No. 6,235,028 B1 (the "'028 patent"), entitled "Surgical Guide Rod"; (10) United States Patent No. 6,969,390 B2 (the "'390 patent"), entitled "Anterior Cervical Plating System and Bone Screw"; (11) United States Patent No. 6,428,542 Bl (the "'542 patent"), entitled "Single-Lock Anterior Cervical Plate"; and (12) United States Patent No. 6,592,586 B1 (the "'586 patent"), entitled "Single-Lock Anterior Cervical Plating System" (collectively, "the Patents-in-Suit"). Plaintiffs allege that NuVasive infringes the Patents-in-Suit by making, using, selling, and offering for sale products that include the inventions claimed in ten asserted patents (the '973 patent, '051 patent, '050 patent, '320 patent, '933 patent, '929 patent, '028 patent, '390 patent, '542 patent, and '586 patent). In addition, Plaintiffs allege that NuVasive "has contributed and is contributing" to the infringement of two asserted patents (the '661 patent and the '422 patent). After being served with the complaint, NuVasive retained counsel to evaluate Plaintiffs' patent infringement claim. In performing this evaluation, NuVasive's counsel is currently reviewing the Patents-in-Suit and the prosecution history of the Patents-in-Suit before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (Florey Decl. ¶ 4.) NuVasive's counsel is also currently conducting an analysis of the NuVasive products that Plaintiffs accuse of infringement. (Id.) Due to the large number of asserted patents and accused products, NuVasive needs another thirty days to complete its evaluation of Plaintiffs' claim. (Id.) This is NuVasive's first request for an extension of time. (Id. at ¶ 5.) This application is not being made for the purpose of delay, and because no case management deadlines have been set, it is not expected to impact the case schedule. (Id.) Accordingly, good cause exists for granting NuVasive a thirty day extension to answer or otherwise respond to Plaintiffs' complaint. Plaintiffs' counsel has informed NuVasive's counsel that Plaintiffs' have no objection to the requested extension of time. (Id. at ¶ 6.) /// /// /// /// 3 Case No. 08 CV 1512 LAB (AJB)

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IV.

CONCLUSION Good cause exists for granting NuVasive a thirty day extension--to October 9, 2008--to

answer or otherwise respond to Plaintiffs' complaint. Dated: September 8, 2008 FISH & RICHARDSON P.C.

By: /s/ Kimberly Kennedy Frank E. Scherkenbach (SBN 142549) John E. Gartman (SBN 152300) Juanita R. Brooks (SBN 75934) Michael E. Florey (pro hac vice application to be submitted) Kimberly I. Kennedy (SBN 253828) Attorneys for Defendant NUVASIVE INCORPORATED

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

The undersigned hereby certifies that a true and correct copy of the above and foregoing document has been served on September 8, 2008 to all counsel of record who are deemed to have consented to electronic service via the Court's CM/ECF system per Civil Local Rule 5.4. Any other counsel of record will be served by electronic mail, facsimile and/or overnight delivery.

/s/ Kimberly I. Kennedy_________________ Kimberly I. Kennedy (SBN 253828) [email protected] Attorney for Defendant NUVASIVE, INCORPORATED

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