PTAB Bounces Challenge to Trampoline Arena Patent

May 21, 2019 – The Patent Trial and Appeal Board today declined to Institute Inter Partes Review on a Petition challenging U.S. Patent No. 8,764,575 for a “Trampoline Arena.”  The ‘575 Patent was filed in 2010 by Marcus Gurley, the founder of Rebounderz trampoline arenas out of Sanford, FL.  At the time of Mr. Gurley’s patent application filing only a few trampoline arenas existed in the world.  Today there are over 1000 trampoline arenas worldwide generating over $2.4 Billion in revenue annually.

The ‘575 Patent was challenged by numerous entities, all of which are under the common ownership of CircusTrix, LLC.  CircusTrix has been the recipient of over $100 Million in private equity funding and challenged the ‘575 Patent on behalf of over 300 trampoline arenas owned or franchised by CircusTrix and its affiliates.  Upon review of the CircusTrix Petition and the Rebounderz Preliminary Response in IPR2019-00263, the PTAB panel concluded that “the information presented does not show a reasonable likelihood that Petitioners would prevail in showing the unpatentability of any of claims 1-19 of the ‘575 Patent challenged by Petitioners.” 

A trio of District Court cases against CircusTrix and its affiliates Rockin’ Jump and SkyZone were previously stayed pending the decision of the PTAB, and should be reopened shortly.  The cases are Rebounderz Franchise and Development, et al. v. Sky Zone LLC, et al., 6:18-cv-00355 (M.D. Fla.), Rebounderz Franchise and Development, et al.v. CircusTrix, LLC, et al., 6:18-cv-00356 (M.D. Fla.), and Rebounderz Franchise and Development, et al. v. Rockin’ Jump, LLC, et al., 0:18-cv-60502 (S.D. Fla.).

The Haley Guiliano team working on the matter included James Haley, Greg Lundell, Josh Van Hoven, Jessica Zhao, Mohammad Zaryab, Tracy Chu and Maria Marley.