Failure to Allege Direction or Control or Joint Enterprise in Complaint Precludes Evidence of Joint Infringement at Trial​

The court granted defendant's motion in limine to preclude plaintiff from presenting evidence of joint infringement because plaintiff did not plead that theory in its complaint. "[Defendant] points out that [plaintiff's] complaint does not reference a claim for joint infringement. . . . [Plaintiff] responds that joint infringement is a theory of direct infringement that [defendant] has been aware of since [plaintiff's] infringement conditions, which asserted that [defendant], and its customers, directly infringed the asserted patents. . . . [Plaintiff's] allegations in its complaint do not state a plausible claim for relief under a theory of direct joint infringement. [Plaintiff] has alleged no facts demonstrating that either (1) [defendant] exercises direction or control over its customers’ performance or (2) that [defendant] and its customers form a joint enterprise. . . . Thus, [plaintiff] it should be excluded from offering argument, testimony, or evidence regarding such a claim of infringement."

Evicam International, Inc. v. Enforcement Video, LLC, 4-16-cv-00105 (TXED July 7, 2017, Order) (Mazzant, USDJ)