Can an Infringement Claim Magnet Be Deactivated?

While steps have been taken to break one WDTX judge’s grip on the nation’s patent docket, his influence remains strong

While several recent developments have curbed the number of patent cases filed in the Western District of Texas, it will likely remain a popular venue for patent own­ers’ complaints at least through this year, says Chicago-based Crowell & Moring partner Yuezhong Feng.

The Western District of Texas has been an infringement claim magnet since the appointment of Judge Alan Albright to its bench by President Donald Trump in 2018. Albright, a longtime intellectual property lawyer, immediately made it known that he welcomed patent cases in his Waco, Texas, courtroom, and he adopted rules similar to those that made the Eastern District of Texas popular with patent plaintiffs in the preceding decade.

Read the complete article in the Litigation Forecast 2023.