Viskase Companies, Inc. v. World Pac Int’l AG, No. 09 C 5022, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. May 10, 2010) (Bucklo, J.).

Judge Bucklo granted declaratory judgment defendants’ (collectively "World Pac") motion to dismiss declaratory judgment plaintiff Viskase’s state law tort claims as preempted by Viskase’s declaratory judgment patent claims. Patent holders have a basis right to assert their patents. In order to make tort claims based upon patent assertions, therefore, Viskase had to show that defendants acted in bad faith in asserting their patents, and the bad faith had both objective and subjective components. Viskase’s general statement of bad faith did not meet the Twombly/Iqbal pleading standards. Furthermore, defendants need not have stated in their assertion letters to third parties that Viskase objected to defendants’ claims.

The Court had specific jurisdiction over foreign defendant World Pac. World Pac’s filing for U.S. patents and its enforcement letters regarding the patents-in-suite created specific jurisdiction.