The Eastern District of Texas has been the favorite venue for patent plaintiffs for a number of reasons, but a key one is that its judges have taken a much more expansive view than judges in other federal districts about the rules on joinder in infringement cases. As a result, companies who feel they don’t have much of a connection to the Lone Star State can find themselves joined together as defendants in suits there. Many of these companies have long tried to get the claims against them filed in venues closer to where they actually operate. In our cover story, we look at the efforts of Massachusetts-based EMC Corporation to get an infringement claim filed against it by Oasis Research LLC transferred out of Texas. What makes the case interesting is that EMC has filed not just one but two appeals with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The risk was obvious—if EMC failed, its case would remain before an Eastern District judge who might not be pleased that the company had tried to jilt him. Also in this issue, a look at a 16-year copyright infringement case between the National Football League and an enthusiastic fan who says that his sketch was the basis for the first logo for the Baltimore Ravens; the pros and cons of bringing an infringement case at the International Trade Commission can offer speed and predictability; and the debate over what kinds of abstract ideas are patentable. — Brian Zabcik, Editor

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COVER STORY

By Sharon McCloskey
EMC has made repeated trips to the Federal Circuit to transfer a case brought against the company in the Eastern District of Texas. In the process it’s won rulings that could benefit other defendants.
 
By Lisa Shuchman
More patent suits were filed last year in the Eastern District of Texas than in any other district.
 
 

FEATURE

By Ross Todd
One jury found that the Baltimore Ravens infringed on a logo sketched by a fan. Another jury found that the Ravens didn’t owe the fan anything. That’s why they’re still in court today. 
 
A timeline of Fred Bouchat’s 16-year fight against the Baltimore Ravens and the National Football League.
 

OPENING STATEMENTS

By Thomas Huddleston Jr.
George Clinton is in danger of losing control of his hard-won rights to the master recordings of four of his classic albums—to one of the firms that helped him reclaim those rights.
 
By Vanessa Blum
Patent litigators are trying to get cases moved out of undesirable jurisdictions by consolidating them in a multidistrict litigation.
 
By Tony Mauro
How broadly should federal courts predominate in cases "arising under" federal laws? A recent case decided by the Supreme Court sheds light on this jurisdictional tussle. 
 
By Sheri Qualters
New developments in technology and social media can put companies at risk: Ten tips for safeguarding clients’ business interests in 2013.
 

PERSPECTIVES

By Daniel J. Bender
ITC infringement cases can be quick and predictable, but they can also upset vacation plans.
 

INSIDE IP

By Jan Wolfe
Judges and practitioners continue to debate how to define “laws of nature,” “abstract ideas,” and “natural phenomena,” which are exempt from patent eligibility.
 
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