Offering Products for Sale Online Does Not Create a Regular and Established Place of Business​

The court granted defendants' motion to dismiss plaintiff's patent infringement action for improper venue because defendants did not have a regular and established place of business in the forum. "At the time of this action's filing, [one defendant] was a sole proprietorship operated by [another defendant], a Texas resident, and the three individual Defendants are each residents of Texas. There is no evidence that any of the Defendants reside in Virginia. Additionally, the fact that [the sole proprietorship defendant] has made its product available online through [an online marketplace] is not sufficient to create a regular and established place of business for the purposes of the patent venue statute."

Glasser v. Barboza et al, 1-17-cv-00322 (VAED August 11, 2017, Order) (Hilton, SJ)