Simonian v. Pella Corp., No. 10 C 1253, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Aug. 5, 2010) (Bucklo, J.)

Judge Bucklo granted defendant Pella’s 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) motion to transfer plaintiff Simonian’s false patent marking case to the Southern District of Iowa. The court held that Simonian’s choice of forum was not given deference, as it normally would be. First, the real plaintiff was the United States, not Simonian. Second, the situs of the material events was Iowa where Pella made its marking and packaging decisions, not Illinois where some marked products were sold. Simonian’s numerous other false marking cases filed in the district did not weigh against transfer. Each of those cases involved different defendants, different accused products and different allegedly expired patents.