TikTok Inc. and Bytedance Ltd, Bytedance Pte. Ltd., Bytedance Inc., TikTok Ltd., and Heliophilia Pte. Ltd. vs. DiStefano Website Innovations, LLC

Explore the PTAB proceeding IPR2025-01224 filed by TikTok Inc. and Bytedance Ltd, Bytedance Pte. Ltd., Bytedance Inc., TikTok Ltd., and Heliophilia Pte. Ltd. on 2025-07-08. This includes filing dates, application numbers, tech centers, patent numbers, and current case status.

Proceeding Overview

Proceeding Number

IPR2025-01224

Filing Date

2025-07-08

Accorded Filing Date

2025-07-08

Institution Decision Date

2026-01-09

Last Modified Date

2026-02-10

Proceeding Type

IPR

Termination Date

2026-01-09

Trial Status

Discretionary Denial

Parties & Counsel

Petitioner

TikTok Inc. and Bytedance Ltd, Bytedance Pte. Ltd., Bytedance Inc., TikTok Ltd., and Heliophilia Pte. Ltd.

Represented By

Chaikovsky, Yaret al

Patent Owner / Respondent

DiStefano Website Innovations, LLC

Represented By

Addy, Meredithet al

Tribunal & Venue

Tribunal

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (USPTO)

Technology Center

TC 3900 - Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)

Patent Information

1 Patent Involved

Respondent Application Number 13963050

Respondent Patent Number RE45971

External Links

Espacenet

Google Patents

Respondent Inventor THOMAS L. DISTEFANO III

Respondent Tech Center TC 3900 - Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)

Address and Attorney/Agent Information

5 Registered Practitioners

Power of Attorney & Correspondence

Firm / Entity Name Cuenot, Forsythe & Kim

Customer Number 55246

Address 20283 State Road 7, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL, 33498, UNITED STATES

Attorney / Agent Information

Reg #	Name	Phone
37883	Meredith Addy	312-320-4200
42984	Scott Paul	561-214-6161
46283	Kevin Cuenot	561-801-7700
47569	Terry Forsythe	561-801-7700
47652	Richard Hinson	561-801-7700

Proceeding Documents

3101

Email Correspondence Exhibit

2026-01-14 FILING PARTY: BOARD

Download

Director Discretionary Decision: Deny RESPONSE

2026-01-09 FILING PARTY: BOARD

Download

2008

Claim Disclaimer - Payment Receipt Exhibit

2025-10-17 FILING PARTY: PATENT OWNER

Download

1059

2025-09-22 [31-1] Ex. A - Proposed DCO[83] Exhibit

2025-10-17 FILING PARTY: PETITIONER

Download

2006

Claim Disclaimer Exhibit

2025-10-17 FILING PARTY: PATENT OWNER

Download

TikTok Inc. and Bytedance Ltd, Bytedance Pte. Ltd., Bytedance Inc., TikTok Ltd., and Heliophilia Pte. Ltd. vs. DiStefano Website Innovations, LLC

Proceeding Overview

Parties & Counsel

Petitioner

TikTok Inc. and Bytedance Ltd, Bytedance Pte. Ltd., Bytedance Inc., TikTok Ltd., and Heliophilia Pte. Ltd.

Represented By

Patent Owner / Respondent

DiStefano Website Innovations, LLC

Represented By

Tribunal & Venue

Patent Information

Address and Attorney/Agent Information

Power of Attorney & Correspondence

Attorney / Agent Information

Proceeding Documents

Email Correspondence Exhibit

Director Discretionary Decision: Deny RESPONSE

Claim Disclaimer - Payment Receipt Exhibit

2025-09-22 [31-1] Ex. A - Proposed DCO[83] Exhibit

Claim Disclaimer Exhibit

2025-10-17 Petitioner's Opposition to Patent Owner's Brief in support of Discretionary Denial RESPONSE

Claim Disclaimer - Electronic Acknowledgement Receipt Exhibit

Appeal Brief 07-05-19 Exhibit

Patent Owner's Preliminary Response POPR

Petitioner's Unopposed Motion for Withdrawal and Substitution of Counsel MOTION

PTAB Dashboard Exhibit

Patent Owner’s Brief In Support Of Discretionary Denial RESPONSE

ORDER - Scheduling Conference in Marshall TX - Sept 8 at 1020 Exhibit

Email from Sinofaith Exhibit

USPTO Appeal Statistics Exhibit

Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay – The White House Exhibit

Patent Owner's Power of Attorney NOTICE

Notice: Mandatory Notice NOTICE

Petitioners Sotera Stipulation Exhibit

Petitioners Updated Exhibit List NOTICE

Notice: Notice filing date accorded NOTICE

Turbo Promote, Wayback Machine Exhibit

U.S. Patent No. 5,774,660 Exhibit

Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Andy Cockburn Exhibit

Certified File History of 09/589,551 Exhibit

Puzzle Depot, Wayback Machine Exhibit

U.S. Patent 7,139,727 Exhibit

U.S. Patent 5,911,145 Exhibit

Dunnington, Guide to Website Promotion (1997) Exhibit

U.S. Patent 5,845,299 Exhibit

DiStefano Pat. Tr. III, LLC v. LinkedIn Corp., Complaint (D. Del. 2017) Exhibit

Expert Declaration of Dr. Andy Cockburn Exhibit

The Oxford Paperback Dictionary (2000) Exhibit

LinkedIn IPR2019-00419, Paper 2 Exhibit

Macromedia, Wikipedia Exhibit

IPR2019-00419, Paper No. 6 (Patent Owner’s Preliminary Response) Exhibit

U.S. Patent 6,016,504 Exhibit

U.S. Patent No. 6,058,417 Exhibit

Shumway, Common-Sense An Alternative Approach to Web Security (1998) Exhibit

Provisional U.S. Patent Application 60/172,983 Exhibit

Berners-Lee WWW Exhibit

U.S. Patent No. 5,854,893 Exhibit

LinkedIn Corp., 346 F. Supp. 3d 616 (D. Del. 2018) Exhibit

DiStefano Website Innovations, LLC v. Bytedance Ltd., Complaint (W.D. Tex.) Exhibit

U.S. Patent 8,768,760 Exhibit

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Basic English (2000) Exhibit

Macromedia Hums the E-Business Tune, Forbes (1999) Exhibit

Certified Copy of U.S. Patent 7,996,259 Exhibit

U.S. Patent Application 2003/0050976A1 Exhibit

DiStefano Patent Tr. III v. LinkedIn Corp., Opening Brief (Fed. Cir. 2019) Exhibit

Macromedia, Inc. v. Adobe Sys. Inc., Complaint, (N.D. Cal. Oct. 19, 2001) Exhibit

DiStefano Website Innovations, LLC v. Bytedance Ltd., Complaint (E.D. TX) Exhibit

Java Sun, Wayback Machine Exhibit

U.S. Patent Application 2001/0034646 Exhibit

Berners-Lee FAQ Exhibit

U.S. Patent No. 6,601,057 Exhibit

U.S. Patent 7,028,254 Exhibit

U.S. Patent No. 6,330,575 Exhibit

RAE Technology, Wikipedia Exhibit

Oxford English Dictionary: “site” Exhibit

Certified File History of RE45,971 Exhibit

Cockburn, 45 Int'l J. of Human-Computer Stud. 105, 129 (1996) Exhibit

U.S. Patent No. 6,009,410 Exhibit

U.S. Patent 6,629,135 Exhibit

Petition: as filed PETITION