Last Minute Trademark Infringement Claims Do Not "Ferryboat" Pendent Venue for Patent Infringement Claims

The court granted one defendant's alternative motion to transfer plaintiff's claims against it for improper venue and rejected plaintiff's attempt to establish pendent venue by asserting trademark claims in its amended complaint. "After the court requested supplemental briefing on where venue might be proper for the remaining defendants, [plaintiff] amended its complaint to add claims for federal and common-law trademark infringement. Based on those claims, [plaintiff] argues, the court should exercise pendent venue over all of [its] claims against [movant]. . . . Pendent venue is improper in this case. . . . The trademark infringement claims are to 'ferryboat in' venue for the underlying patent claim. [Plaintiff] waited six months to amend its complaint, and it did so only after the court requested additional briefing on where venue might be proper for all defendants. . . . Because the primary claim is for patent infringement and the patent venue statute contains the more specific provisions, pendent venue is not justified in this case."

Wet Sounds, Inc. v. Powerbass USA, Inc. et al, 4-17-cv-03258 (TXSD April 17, 2018, Order) (Rosenthal, USDJ)