United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is the Federal district court with jurisdiction over the eastern part of Texas and is a part of the Fifth Circuit. The court's headquarters are in Tyler, Texas and has five subdivision offices in Beaumont, Lufkin, Marshall, Sherman, and Texarkana. The district covers 43 counties in Texas. The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court.

Patent litigation

Most recently, the Eastern District of Texas has seen an increase in the number of cases filed relating to patent infringement. This District has experienced an increase in the number of patent cases filed and tried, notably in the courts of Judge T. John Ward in the Marshall Division and Judge Leonard Davis in the Marshall and Tyler Divisions. Perhaps because the district has a set of local rules for patent cases and relatively fast trial settings, patent plaintiffs have flocked to this small venue. In addition the proximity to larger cities (such as Dallas and Houston) along with an aging jury pool interested in protecting property rights, may attract patent cases to Marshall, Tyler, and Texarkana, Texas.

In 2003, there were 14 patent cases filed. In 2004, this number more than quadrupled to 59 patent cases filed. In 2006, the number of cases grew to an estimated 236. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/business/24ward.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin JULIE CRESWELL, "So Small a Town, So Many Patent Suits", New York Times, September 24, 2006] ]

The district has been criticized for a perceived bias towards plaintiffs in patent infringement lawsuits, including patent trolls and other holders of dubious patents. [ [http://www.technologyreview.com/InfoTech-Software/wtr_16280,300,p1.html?PM=GO A Haven for Patent Pirates] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.txed.uscourts.gov/ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]