Dismissal of Texas Patent Case Obtained

On August 8, 2009, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas dismissed a patent infringement suit filed against several defendants, including one of William's clients.  The suit alleged that the sale of handheld GPS devices for the use of determining distances on golf courses infringed plaintiffs' patents.  The Court dismissed the case, finding that the plaintiffs did not possess sufficient ownership interests in the patent to enable them to pursue the case any further.  In the case, defendants argued not only that plaintiffs did not possess sufficient ownership interests in the patent, but that they have not, in any way, infringed the patent by their sales of golf handheld GPS devices.  This is a big victory for the defendants and for their continued golf GPS businesses.