Micron told to pay $445M in memory patent infringement case Chipmaker Micron is being ordered to cough up a total of $445 million after losing a patent litigation case involving memory module technology brought by rival Netlist. The jury in the case, heard in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, found that Micron had infringed on two of Netlist's patents …
“In 2023, patent trolls filed 522 of the 613 (85%) patent infringement cases brought in the Eastern District of Texas”
It is well beyond time there should be a special patent court, without layperson juries not qualified to evaluate the facts. The constitution guarantees individuals the right to a jury of their peers for criminal changes, it says nothing about a jury trial for damages or when companies are the plaintiff, so there is no reason a law couldn't be passed to fix this anytime congress wanted to get their act together.
BTW, there IS a, "Special patent court," but it only hears appeals. It is called the, "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit," for various obscure historical reasons.
They are way worse than the mooks in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, ruling in favor of things like patenting a rainy day. (Hedging against weather, but since hedging is prior art, it means that they literally granted a patent for a rainy day.)
Among other things the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit have, made determinations of fact, a no-no for appellate courts, who are only supposed to rule on matters of law, and assumed facts not in evidence.
The Supreme Court has been slapping them down the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for over a decade.
These folks are nuts.
Or corporate mascots might be fun as well e.g.
Hamburglar, Ronald McDonald, Mickey Mouse, Mr. Peanut, Trix Rabbit, Spuds MacKenzie, Playboy rabbit, Michelin Man, Mario, Kermit the Frog, Green Giant, Energizer Bunny, Duracell Bunny, Budweiser Frogs and The Burger King.
I know that is than 15 jurors, but you need a few spare, imagine if the Coca-Cola polar bears shows up hungry.
Because neither judgement is final.
The judgement that the patent is invalid, is being appealed.
So the judge let them argue it to the jury. The jury found infringement. If the patent is eventually found to be invalid, then the courts will overturn the jury verdict.
Seems insane to me, but then most court processes seem insane to me.
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