Roger Fingas
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued a critical decision that could reduce the number of patent lawsuits tech companies like Apple face on a yearly basis. [Updated with correction on case limits]
In an 8-0 ruling, the court sided with drink flavoring company TC Heartland against Kraft Heinz, arguing that patent infringement suits can only be filed in the jurisdiction where the target company is incorporated or where "the defendant has committed acts of infringement and has a regular and established place of business." The ruling overturns a 2016 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which said that lawsuits should be possible anywhere a defendant's products are on the market.
So-called patent trolls — holding firms that don't sell a tangible product — will often file lawsuits against businesses like Apple through a single federal district in east Texas known to favorable to plaintiffs in patent cases. This is despite many of the defendants being based in California, and many of the plaintiffs having little to no presence in the Eastern District.
Even bigger plaintiffs will sometimes choose the Eastern District, an example
Over 40 percent of all patent suits reportedly pass through the Eastern District, 90 percent of that number originating from patent trolls.
The Supreme Court ruling is unlikely to affect the likes of Nokia, but may deter smaller patent holders with frivolous claims. A risk is that federal courts in California could become clogged with patent cases, slowing down an already strained system.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
26 Comments
What are those troglodytes in East Texas gonna do now? They can only hear law suits on dirt sifting and meth labs now. Yee haw!
Hopefully now Marshall Texas will be wiped off the map. I don't sincerely mean that, but what a strange place full of stranger law "professionals." Happy to hear their local industry of corruption is now dead. Thanks SC