Maxma, et al v. Conocophillips Inc, No. 2:03-cv-00421 (E.D. Tex. July 19, 2005)

From the Opinion

The passage below is extracted verbatim from the opening of the document. It has not been editorially summarized — consult the full opinion for the court's complete reasoning.

The c ourt iss ues th is m emorandum o pinion a nd or der t o r esolve the parties’ c laim construction disputes. 1. Introduction. In this case, the plaintiffs, Maxma, L.C. and J. Kenneth Sanders, have sued the defendant, ConocoPhillips, Inc., for infringement of United States Patent No. 5,266,082 (“the ‘082 patent”), entitled “Fuel Additive.” The plaintiffs have also appended state law tort claims arising out of a failed b usiness v enture b etween th e p arties.