The legal question in the case was whether the Federal Circuit had correctly interpreted part of a 1948 statute
that requires patent suits to be filed “in the judicial district where the defendant resides.”
Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the court, said the Federal Circuit had misconstrued the law
and ignored a 1957 Supreme Court precedent that had set out the correct interpretation.
TC Heartland sought to move the case to Indiana, but lower courts refused, relying on a 1990 decision of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a specialized court that handles patent appeals.
Supreme Court Ruling Could Hinder ‘Patent Trolls’ -
By ADAM LIPTAKMAY 22, 2017
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday placed tight limits on where patent lawsuits may be filed — a unanimous decision
that was a blow to so-called patent trolls, or companies that buy patents not to use them but to demand royalties and sue for damages.
That decision said defendants in patent cases, as in other cases, may be sued essentially anywhere they do business.
Such companies have often sued in remote federal courts that have a reputation for friendliness to plaintiffs.
Other companies have argued that it makes sense to let cases be considered by courts that have developed expertise in patent matters.