Judge Farnan: Motion to dismiss declaratory judgment complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction GRANTED

Judge Farnan recently dismissed Microsoft’s declaratory judgment complaint, involving Microsoft’s MapPoint and Virtual Earth services, against WebXchange because no case or controversy existed sufficient to confer subject matter jurisdiction. Microsoft Corporation v. Webxchange, Inc., C.A. 09-484-JJF (D. Del. Oct. 30, 2009). Microsoft had previously filed a complaint against WebXchange in the Northern District of California

Judge Farnan: Another Motion to Transfer Denied

In Personalized User Model LLP v. Google, Inc., C.A. No. 09-525-JJF (D. Del. Oct. 27, 2009), Judge Farnan issued an opinion on a motion by defendant Google to transfer a pending patent infringement suit to the Norther District of California (its home state) under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a). The opinion implicitly criticized the current state

Sanctions Ordered in Honeywell v. Nikon

In Honeywell International, Inc. v. Nikon Corp., C.A. No. 04-1337-JJF (Oct. 14, 2009), Judge Farnan, adopting the recommendation of Special Master Vincent J. Poppiti, ordered $18,000 in sanctions against InnoLux, a defendant in a patent infringement case, for its discovery behavior. Id. at 2. These sanctions resulted from a November 25, 2008 order requiring InnoLux

Joseph J. Farnan: Transfer Denied After Movant Filed Its Own Suit in Delaware

A recent decision by district judge Joseph J. Farnan Jr. reaffirms the difficulty parties often have in transferring actions out of the District of Delaware. In considering defendant Hologic’s motion to transfer venue, the Court recognized that nearly identical litigation between the same parties was already pending in the transferee jurisdiction. But, unlike most other

Judge Joseph J. Farnan: Supplemental Claim Construction Order

In the Court’s Order construing some of the claim terms at issue in this infringement action, Judge Farnan requested supplemental briefing for the disputed claim term “homogeneously branched linear ethylene/ά-olefin interpolymers.” See The Dow Chemical Company v. Nova Chemicals Corporation (Canada), C.A. No. 05-737-JJF, Order (D. Del. June 25, 2009). The parties submitted additional briefing

Judge Farnan: Markman Opinion

In a recent Markman opinion, Judge Farnan construed several terms relating to two patents pertaining to the use of microelectrodes for the rapid determination of the concentration of an analyte in a liquid sample – a process that, as the court noted, is useful for blood sugar analysis in individuals suffering from diabetes. The parties

Judge Farnan: Claim Construction

In UCB, Inc. et al. v. KV Pharmaceutical Company, C.A. 08-223-JJF (D. Del. Aug. 18, 2009) Judge Farnan provided claim constructions for disputed terms of a patent pertaining to “multiparticulate pharmaceutical dosage forms that include both immediate release (“IR”) beads and extended release (“ER”) beads.” The parties disputed the meaning of the claim terms “approximately”

Judge Farnan: A defendant MUST avail themselves of every opportunity to plead inequitable conduct with particularity

Judge Farnan recently granted Plaintiffs’ Motion to Strike Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment of Unenforceability based upon defendants’ failure to plead their inequitable conduct defense with particularity; and defendants’ subsequent failure to take any action to amend their Answer. Laboratory Skin Care, Inc., et al. v. Limited Brands, Inc. et al., C.A. No. 06-601-JJF (D.

Judge Joseph J. Farnan, Jr.: No Per Se Rule that a Reexamination Order Precludes the Possibility of Proving Willful Infringement

In June 2009, Magistrate Judge Stark granted Plaintiff St. Clair’s Motion for Leave to File a Second Amended Complaint to, among other things, add allegations for willful infringement against Defendant Nokia. St. Clair Intellectual Property Consultants, Inc. v. Matsushita Electronic Industrial Co., et al., C.A. No. 04-1436-JJF-LPS (D. Del. June 10, 2009). In opposition to

Judge Joseph J. Farnan, Jr.: Transfer Denied Where Defendants Not Subject to Suit in Transferee Forum

A defendant’s motion to transfer will be denied where there is no evidence to establish that the defendant could have been sued in the transferee forum originally. Safety Braking Corp. v. Six Flags Theme Parks, et al., C.A. No. 07-127-JJF, Memo. Op. (D. Del. June 9, 2009). This is what Judge Farnan recently found in