Cigna, Simon Properties Cleared of Infringing Prepaid Card Tech

Cigna Corp. doesn’t infringe a patent related to prepaid card reading technology, a Texas judge confirmed.

Judge Robert Schroeder adopted a magistrate judge’s recommendation that no reasonable jury could find Cigna infringed AlexSam Inc.’s U.S. Patent No. 6,000,608. Mall owner Simon Property Group (Texas) LP and Blackhawk Network Inc., a prepaid gift card provider, also won a ruling of no infringement.

AlexSam has filed around two dozen lawsuits involving the patent, according to Bloomberg Law data. The patent is related to a system for activating and using prepaid cards, like a gift card, and other multifunction cards.

The ...