Supreme Court Denies Review of Forum Dispute in Patent Case

The US Supreme Court on Monday refused to review a lower court’s ruling that forces patent owners to defend themselves in courts chosen by alleged infringers, even when the patent owner has no connection to that location.

Patent owner Lighting Defense Group asked the high court in its petition to overturn a lower court’s decision that allowed a Utah company to sue it in Utah, finding Lighting’s report against the company through Amazon’s patent enforcement system “purposefully directed” in Utah. Lighting argued it shouldn’t have to fight the case in Utah since it had no business there.

A lower court ...