Office Closed a Few Weeks Before Lawsuit is a Regular and Established Place of Business for Venue

The court overruled defendant's objection to the magistrate judge's recommendation to deny its motion to transfer for improper venue because defendant had a regular and established place of business in the district through its office that closed a few weeks before plaintiff filed suit. "Abiding by the Federal Circuit's admonition that '⁠[i]n deciding whether a defendant has a regular and established place of business in a district, no precise rule has been laid down and each case depends on its own facts,' the undersigned finds that the fact that [plaintiff] filed suit in this District within weeks after [defendant] closed its doors is reasonable. Finding that [defendant's] established and regular business in the District weeks before suit was filed is sufficient for establishing venue pursuant to Section 1400(b) does not offend Section 1400(b)'s purpose 'to eliminate the "abuses engendered" by previous venue provisions allowing such suits to be brought in any district in which the defendant could be served.'"

ParkerVision, Inc. v. Apple Inc. et al, 3-15-cv-01477 (FLMD March 8, 2018, Order) (Davis, USDJ)