SoylentNews

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Eolas Technologies, which has been called a "patent troll," has continued to file against big companies, even after losing a landmark 2012 trial. But following an appeals court order (PDF) last week, Eolas will have to pursue its lawsuits in California—not its preferred patent hotspot of East Texas.

As of Friday, Eolas' lawsuits against Google, Amazon, and Wal-Mart have been transferred to the Northern District of California. The move could reduce Eolas' chances of winning a settlement or verdict since East Texas courts have been viewed by some as favoring patent holders.Similar lawsuits against Amazon and Wal-Mart remain in East Texas, for now.

[...] A Google spokesperson declined to comment on the transfer order. Eolas lawyers didn't respond to a request for comment.

The appeals court order was issued on Thursday, and the docket in Schroeder's court accordingly transferred the case the following day.

The transfer is clearly a victory for Google and suggests that the end of Eolas is finally at hand. Then again, that's what onlookers thought in 2013 when Eolas lost its original appeal. Another important question remains unanswered: how can a patent-holding company like Eolas continue to acquire patents that are nearly identical to patents that have been invalidated in court?

-- submitted from IRC

Original Submission