Dustin Edwards Discusses Decline of Patent Infringement Lawsuits in East Texas

Houston-based Partner Dustin Edwards was quoted in the Texas Lawbook article “East Texas Patent Litigation Still Hot, but No Longer Boiling” published on July 21 and Houston Chronicle article “Patent cases plunge as 'trolls' thwarted” published on July 25. The articles examine the decline in new patent infringement lawsuits filed in federal courts in East Texas, indicating that efforts to limit complaints by so-called patent trolls are potentially having an impact.

According to the Texas Lawbook article, new data shows that while lawsuits claiming patent violations spiked in 2015, the Eastern District of Texas continues to be the most prevalent place in the U.S. to sue for intellectual property infringement.

“The drop in filings in the first and second quarters of this year suggest that we may be looking at more than just a glitch and we may see a continued decline in patent litigation filings the rest of this year,” said Mr. Edwards.

The article points out that more than one-third of all patent lawsuits brought in the U.S. during the first half of 2016 were filed in East Texas. Legal experts believe that the number of new patent cases will continue to decline due to new tools used by corporate defendants to stop lawsuits. In addition, federal judges have recently shown that they will strike plaintiffs who file frivolous cases with six-digit fines.

Mr. Edwards is a registered patent attorney whose practice involves all aspects of intellectual property law, with a focus on patent litigation.