Apple Shifts Patent Fight Venue Despite Inventors’ Move to Texas

Apple Inc. convinced a Texas federal judge to move a patent-infringement case to the iPhone maker’s home turf of northern California from central Texas, where a pair of inventors recently relocated in a bid to have their allegations tried in a courthouse known for awarding whopping jury verdicts to patent holders.

Judge Alan Albright of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas indicated it was a somewhat close call to send Smart Mobile Technologies LLC’s suit against Apple to the Northern District of California instead of leaving it in Waco.

“Four factors are neutral, three factors favor ...