INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CLIENT ALERT: The America Invents Act Does Not Preclude Consolidating Cases in Multidistrict Litigation

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) recently ruled that multidistrict litigation (MDL) remains a viable option for parties to transfer and centralize pretrial proceedings for separate patent infringement actions pending in different district courts. In In re Bear Creek Technologies, Inc. (available here), the JPML granted the patentholder’s motion to transfer 14  actions in three districts to the District of Delaware, holding that the American Invents Act (AIA) does not preclude the panel from centralizing patent litigation.