Presence of Third Party Distributor and Regular Product Sales in Forum State are Irrelevant to Determining Regular and Established Place of Business​

Following the Supreme Court decision in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Grp. Brands LLC, 137 S. Ct. 1514 (2017), the court granted defendant's motion to transfer plaintiff's patent infringement action from the District of South Carolina to the District of Utah for improper venue because defendant did not have a regular and established place of business in South Carolina. "Where [defendant] was founded [Charleston, South Carolina], the identity of its South Carolina customers, and the volume of its sales to South Carolina customers are not relevant to the § 1400(b) venue analysis. The presence of a third-party distributing [defendant's] products also is irrelevant. . . . [Defendant] has a single, recently hired employee who does not make sales or interact with customers in South Carolina and who maintains no inventory in South Carolina. . . . Indeed, that [defendant] is not even licensed to do business in South Carolina is practically dispositive in determining that [defendant] does not conduct business in South Carolina through a 'permanent and continuous presence.'"

Hand Held Products Inc. d/b/a Honeywell Scanning & Mobility et al v. The Code Corporation, 2-17-cv-00167 (SCD July 18, 2017, Order) (Gergel, USDJ)