Has Delaware become the 'new' Eastern District of Texas? The unforeseen consequences of the AIA.

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION I. THE NPE OR "PATENT TROLL" II. THE COST OF LITIGATION III. LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS IV. FEDERAL RULE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE 20(A)(2): PERMISSIVE JOINDER OF PARTIES [...]
To stem the rising tide of patent suits brought by non-practicing entities (NPEs), Congress enacted the anti-joinder provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) while, at nearly the same time, the Federal Circuit issued a series of decisions making it easier for defendants to transfer multi-defendant cases filed by NPEs away from the Eastern District of Texas. The unexpected result of these initiatives, however, has been that NPEs have selected the District of Delaware as their new 'forum of choice,' making it the most popular forum for patent litigation in the country and displacing the Eastern District of Texas.