Columbia Sportswear Patent Case Transferred Shortly Before Trial

Columbia Sportswear North America Inc.’s patent infringement lawsuit against a competitor will move from Oregon to California just two weeks before the start of trial, even though the last-minute shift is prejudicial to Columbia, a court ruled Sept. 5.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon granted Seirus Innovative Accessories Inc.’s motion to transfer to the Southern District of California. Oregon was no longer a proper venue for the lawsuit in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC in May, a fact that the parties didn’t dispute, the ...