There have been two recent rulings on local patent infringement trials, past and, by all indications, imminent, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Move over, United States District Court, E.D. Texas (Marshall Division), once thought of as “ground zero” for U.S. patent infringement litigation? (Don’t bet on it.)
Even if the District of Minnesota is not going to become Mecca for infringement cases (notably Judge Schiltz nixed enhanced damages after plaintiff’s jury verdict in the infringement trial he presided over), it is clear that the potentially multi-million $$ pay-outs, and potential for award of attorneys’ fees, and infrequency of insurance coverage make patent infringement claims particularly prone to non-settlement.